Expanding the Historical Narrative of Early Visual Modernity in Malaya

Abstract

The history of Malaysian modern art early in the 20th century is not well-established. Also, the term "modern art" has yet to be extensively discussed locally. Evidently, the term does not refer to the modern art movements that occurred in Euramerica; rather, it frequently refers to a type of art that differs from its traditional counterparts and painting media that were alien to the indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago then. It is presumed that (1) modern art began in Malaysia-or Malaya in this context-just before the 1930s and that (2) visual appreciation of modern art among the Malays was only attained after the widespread adoption of painting media in Malaya. Hence, this paper examines the various sketches in Malay manuscripts and newspaper illustrations as some of these works were the initial forms of visual modernity during the 19th century, thus expanding the credence of the beginning of the history of Malaysian modern art to as early as the late 19th century.

Exploring the Painting Styles of Malaysian Chinese Artists after the National Cultural Congress

“…In the 20th century, before the discovery of indigenous art, the art scene consisted mainly of artistic resources native to immigrant artists and Western art promoted by the colonial government, which converged to some extent to enrich the subject matter of Malaysian art. The earliest painting activity can be traced back to the arrival of British painters in Penang in the 19th century (Sarena, 2018). Art was not widespread, and its dissemination was limited at the time, so it did not receive large-scale attention.…”

“…He also argues that the presence of artists from China in 1930 caused a different atmosphere in Malaysian contemporary art. Sarena (2018) goes a step closer by stating that immigrant artists brought about modern Malaysian art from China through the practice of watercolour painting and the paintings of other travelling artists and British officials. Painting as a visual medium expresses the artist's cultural experiences, emotional values, and perceptions of society.…”

A Review of the Elements of Nature and the Malay Cultural Landscape through Malay Literature

“…Much of the information related to Malay history is only available in some historical sources, such as old manuscripts, poetry, and Hikayat (folktales) [15]. As such, these materials have been used as the main references and guidelines for the Malay community in living sustainably within their culture, nature, and environment [10]. The available sources provide brief overviews of the use of natural elements in the life of the Malay community.…”

“…The above excerpt also suggests several physical elements in the Malay world, such as the function of a pool in softening the ambiance in the Malay landscape. The valuable elements in the excerpt above describe the importance of nature and environment in the Malay landscape, as determined by the perception of the meaning intended to be delivered in terms of either culture or function [10]. A pool area was used as a setting for human amusements such as flower weaving, singing, and other artistic pastimes.…”

“…According to Akmal [9], the Malay cultural landscape is a link between natural and man-made interpretations: he interpreted an old work of scholarship in an ancient Malay text entitled Kitab Sulalatus Salatin (the manuscript of the "Genealogy of Kings"). Abdullah [10] emphasized that in shaping the Malay cultural landscape, Malay culture and traditions are the driving forces between nature and men. If we delve deeper into the natural and cultural elements of a race, such as the Malays, we can see that Malay literature covers the broad components of a cultural landscape, which encompasses physical, social, and perceptual aspects.…”