19 April - 3 May 2011

Clash of the Pigments

Hasanul Isyraf Idris (b. 1978)

In this series Hasanul Isyraf Idris addresses the pressures and internal struggles of
the artist. “These works are an animated version of my personal battle. I developed
characters from art materials and wars from colour palettes, and created scenes of my
everyday art making. To me, colours are the perfect symbol of a painter, because they
are physically unique, soft and easy to bind. I used these works to illustrate the process
I go through and the trivialities I experience, and I included some metaphors for the art
scene overall.”

The exclusive perspective of Idris offers visuals that expose his interests and
upbringing as well as his technical skills, providing insight into the world of a young
male Malay artist.

“I watched all the sci-fi I wanted to when I was a kid. I didn’t have any parental advisory;
I lived in a kampung village. There you can watch anything when you’re young, you can
watch The Exorcist if you want to.” Idris’ background and national identity become
factors for the audience to consider and enjoy, within the theme of the hardship and
horror of making a living in the visual arts.
The Metaphor of the Survivor The series is a continuation from earlier recognised efforts, also in large scale and cartoon
colours, which introduced the artist’s ability to compose harmonious figurative relationships
“Right now I’m talking about myself, and I think that’s more complex than anything else. that made sense within out-of-this-world canvases. These works once again show progression
You’ve got to ask things about yourself.” within the framework of his own contemporary outlook on life. Skilled use of aerosol paints,
Hasanul Isyraf Idris, interviewed 25 February 2011 bold colour choices and ingenious tonal pairings keep the works deliberate and fresh, showing
a deep respect for the influences of a diverse range of visual sources including Sixties science-
Clash of the Pigments presents the art making process and the plight of struggling artists, an fiction, underground trends of American sub-cultures, Greek mythology and Modern and
underworld of battles, seductions and manipulations from which there emerge no winners, Contemporary fine art. The artist’s perspective this time opens a Pandora’s Box of experiences
only survivors. As Malaysian contemporary art is becoming increasingly recognised locally and ideas that are converted seamlessly to paintings and sculpture, forming illustrative
and abroad, this series thus provides timely subject matter from the frustrated personal representation of an emotional journey that very few art world audiences would otherwise
perspective of under-the-radar, introverted talent Hasanul Isyraf Idris. Through five large- get a glimpse at.
scale paintings, smaller scaled sculptures and mixed media works, Hasanul is assessing his
Visually, the works are unique to Hasanul, yet they invaluably also emerge from that upcoming
own experiences as an artist from afar, not only in terms of his ten years as a professional
wave of specifically Malay artists whose technical skills are matched to their social and political
but also in terms of Kuala Lumpur versus London, where he is currently based. “It’s hard to
inquisitiveness and thirst for the fantastical, and whose upbringings are cause for so much
be an artist in Malaysia and to make a living,” he states, “and if you are Malay, art has been
more of their artistic identity than their schooling could ever provide. Their art is at once
mixed with this and that, and with religion, and it’s not healthy. If I had wanted to exhibit this
soft-hearted and strong willed, and their laid-back independence conflicts with a deep need
in another space, one of the other venues in K.L, I don’t think [it would have happened]. It’s
to please not only others but also themselves. The deep cultural ties that hold Malaysians to
not a liberal scene. Artists start thinking not to put this in, not to do that, and [in the end] the
their heritage and families seem to make it difficult for local artists to separate their work,
art is not there. If you are in London you don’t have to think about what kind of images you
and others’ opinions about their work, from their personal responsibilities. Hasanul seems
will use, you have freedom in art. It is total paradise. London is paradise.”
to want to reconcile his love of home with the drive to continue being an artist, “The fragility
of the colours in this series is a metaphor for the art scene overall. If you wash away, are not
A close up on the artist’s own act of painting as well as a broad stroke comment, these works
sustained, nobody cares about you and nobody talks about you anymore. If you go, you go.
place the Hasanul’s active palette in narrative, with ghostly creatures acting out the desperate
Every year you set your boundaries, you set your level, you know, and when you finish that’s
push and pull of the art world and tubes of pigment alive and fighting for their place amongst
it, you’re not going back to that level. I want to move on, move on, move on. I want to try new
enemies. The situation and temperature of the local art scene becomes a fascinating point
materials and to experiment more.”
of focus for the exhibition, to address questions as to whether Malaysian artists have the
support required in obtaining freedom to express themselves properly through their work,
or in what ways a Southeast Asian artist would consider the West paradise even today. The
exported artist has thus painted it as he now sees it, and it is a horrific but exciting scene.
While violence may strike the viewer initially, the series is balanced with the intensity of
desire and passion in works such as Luring Hue (2011) and Colour Intercourse (2010), hinting
at the inspirations that leave an artist defenseless to creativity and willing to enter a never
ending war that will wreak havoc on their self worth.
Clash of the pigments
2010
Acrylic and aerosol paint on canvas
6ft 4 x 9ft 11

The title work of the series, Clash of the Pigments depicts a violent battle in which artists are
represented as fighting tubes of paint with soft and vulnerable flesh. Idris’ imagined creatures,
part animal and part alien, fearful of fading to mere skeletal ghosts, inhabit a horrific scene
where no colour is safe from the desperate need to survive. The artist’s choice to animate Clash
of the Pigments dynamically with the influence of 1960s science fiction, comic book, and street
art is obvious in his use of single-tone blocks and black scratched shading. This work is seminal in
a series that showcases the artist’s perspective as part of a new generation of Malay artists who
have followed international creative underground movements from a young age.
Colour intercourse
2010
Acrylic and aerosol paint on canvas
7ft x 6ft 4

Two pigments blend together in this work that paints an unpleasant landscape of the hungry
nature of the creative process. Forgotten tubes of paint, already only bones, hover above and
haunt the couple as a reminder and warning of the fragility of their existence. Below, more
creatures of the artist’s invented world try not to join those that have already drowned. Idris has
deliberately incorporated the physical painting process into the series, and works such as Colour
intercourse openly express his interest in the love affair with paints and colours that can draw a
struggling artist to continue to work, even in a bleak and harsh environment.
Luring hue
2011
Acrylic and aerosol paint on canvas
7ft x 6ft 4

The second work in the series tackling the subject of desire, Luring hue is a pseudo duel in
which female figures and probing pigments actually engage in mutual seduction. Here Idris is
commenting on his position as a young male and as a painter, including a gilded frame and skin
from the strawberry fruit to “allude to the sensuality and passion” of making art. The design of
the electric blue creatures came from snakes, traditionally a phallic symbol: “I had been reading
Greek mythology, I love it, and I found that H.R Geiger was also influenced by it in the Alien
movies. I took [what he did] and changed it to my own mythology and my own creatures, and
mixed it into this painting.”
Raising the brush
2011
Acrylic and aerosol paint on canvas
7ft x 6ft 4

“In Japanese folklore everything has a spirit, even everyday objects, and if a certain object has
not been used for a period of time or has been thrown away, its spirit will wander aimlessly. In
this work I show a painter trying to lift the spirit in a long-forgotten brush”. The only painting
in the series not to depict a confrontation, Raising the brush takes the viewer deeper into the
art underworld, where revival from battle injuries requires dark, extreme measures. Through
figurative expression, incredible control of his materials, and the juxtapositioning of three
important colour choices, the artist’s skillfully manufactured emotion, depth and lighting within
this painting to create a smoky atmosphere of awe, magic, and lust for power.
Rise of the pigment knight
2010
Acrylic and aerosol paint on canvas
6ft 9 x 7ft 1

The metaphor of the survivor takes centre stage in Rise of the pigment knight, where the
traditional narrative of a knight in battle is applied to the artist’s own professional experiences
ten years after graduating art school. As with others in the series, influence and opinion combine
in the elements of this work; Idris’ aerosol strokes, learned as a follower of graffiti trends and
techniques, become the flying weaponry that place the viewer directly into an ongoing war.
Displaying strength despite the sensitive running pigment of his body, the knight may prevail
not as a hero but as one of many humble monsters fighting in fierce defense of an art-based
existence.
Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 1 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 2 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 5 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 6
Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover
30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm
2011 2011 2011 2011

Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 3 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 4 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 7 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 8
Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover
30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm
2011 2011 2011 2011
Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 9 Invasion of Vinyl Snatcher 10
Acrylic on vinyl cover Acrylic on vinyl cover
30.5 x 30.5 cm 30.5 x 30.5 cm
2011 2011

Sculpture - Gold Hunter

Acrylic painted on oven baked clay
2011
 HASANUL ISYRAF IDRIS
Bachelor In Fine Art, Mara University Of Technology Uitm, Perak

AWARDS

2007 Young Contemporary Arts Award, National Art Gallery

1999 Insentive Award, Open Show, Shah Alam Gallery
Consolation Prize, Young Talent Art Exhibition, Penang Art Gallery

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2011 Clash of the Pigments, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur
2010 Ringan-ringan, Map White Box, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur
2010 January Showcase, Chandan Gallery, Bukit Damansara Kuala Lumpur
2009 International Contemporary Art Show (Imcas) Danga Bay, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Our Hearts For Yours, Chandan Gallery, Bukit Damansara. Kuala Lumpur
18@8 Weiling Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
2008 Semangat Chandan : Contemporary Artist From The Land Of Grace,
Chandan Gallery Kuala Lumpur.
2007 Young Contemporary Art Exhibition, National Art Gallery
‘Three New Voices’ Wei Ling Gallery Kuala Lumpur
2006 Pameran Titian Budaya Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam
Open Show, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Tribute To Jeri Azahari, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur

Sculpture - Warrior Number 23

Acrylic painted on oven baked clay
2011
Lot No. 2F-3 Level 2 Bangsar Village II
Jalan Telawi 1 Bangsar Baru 59100 Kuala Lumpur
T +603 2283 3677 F +603 2283 4677
info@rkfineart.com www.rkfineart.com