The Integrations of Islamic Patterns in Malaysian Contemporary Art

Abstract

The National Cultural Congress which was held in 1971 has brought the idea of national identity into art and served as a guideline for Malaysian artists in their creative process. In this context, Islam becomes one of the main elements in representing our cultural identity. As a result, Islamic patterns serve as symbols and styles that were applied in most contemporary art in Malaysia to interpret the connections between man, the universe and their Creator. This phenomenon has witnessed the emergence of many important and interesting works created by major Muslim artists with various unique methods of applying Islamic patterns. Consequently, the objectives of the present study are to explore the style of Islamic patterns integrated in Malaysian contemporary artwork, to examine the strategies or methods used by the artists in producing their artwork and finally, to analyze the philosophy and the concept of Islamic patterns that are being projected in Malaysian contemporary artwork. Works by five significant artists namely Dato’ Syed Ahmad Jamal, Sulaiman Esa, Fathimah Chik, Mastura Abd Rahman, and Ahmad Khalid Yusof have been chosen for the present study which used Feldman’s approach to art criticism as its methodology. The present study indicates that all 15 artworks from the five selected Malaysian artists implement the style based on the elements of the Malay cultural heritage as well as the influence of the Islamic concept and teaching. Most of the patterns and motifs found in all the artworks studied are directed to Islamic philosophy such as arabesque patterns, Islamic calligraphy, floral motif, and geometrical pattern. The present study also shows that the main strategy used in all the 15 artworks is in accordance with the four principles introduced by Ismail al-Faruqi comprising repetition, stylization, denaturalization, and abstraction. It is hoped that the present study will create awareness among Malaysian artists and audiences of the importance and significance of Islamic patterns in contemporary art.