Identification of Malay Aesthetic Concept in Visual Artworks

Abstract

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the analysis of concepts and the solutions of problems that arise when one contemplates on aesthetic objects. According to Imam Al- Ghazalli, aesthetic is considered as a beauty, “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty”. Furthermore, aesthetic values can be seen through many perspectives particularly in visual artworks. In Malaysia, the Malay identification was neglected in the development of Malaysian art. The lack of Malaysian identity in the early establishment of Malaysia can be seen in the field of Malaysian modern arts. The certain groups of Malaysian artist nowadays tend to discuss their artworks based on the reflection from the current and social issue that viewed the impact and problems. This research seeks to investigate the characteristics of Malay aesthetic that embedded into contemporary visual artworks in Malaysia. Then, to classify and analyze the various samples of artworks that can be traced with Malay aesthetic concept. The methods in this study are based on the gathered data analysis from the previous and current studies and interlinked it to the visual artworks. Indeed, the outcome of this study, the artworks which have a characteristic of Malay aesthetic can sustain the uniqueness of Malay art in Malaysia, to document the artworks for the future reference.