Pelukis/illustrator

Abdullah Ariff

Abdullah Ariff was born in Penang in 1904. He was a self-taught artist and was an art teacher at the Anglo-Chinese School,Penang (presently known as Methodist Boy's School). In the 1920s, there was no local art group and the only organised art group at that time consisted of expatriate Europeans (mostly English housewives ) who called themselves the " Penang Impressionists ". Asians were not allowed to join the exclusive group which was a reflection of the prevailing colonialistic imperialism then. However Abdullah Ariff was admitted into the group in the mid-30s because his services as an art instructor were needed. The " Penang Impressionists " disbanded before the beginning of the 2nd World War, never to be reformed.
Abdullah Ariff was acknowledged with Yong Mun Sen, as a pioneer of watercolour painting in Malaysia. He was especially well-known for his meticulous masterful handling of the medium. Compared to Mun Sen, his works are more 'European' in outlook and approach, and his paintings appear to have more crowded details. A dedicated teacher, he was well-respected amongst the artistic community in the northern states.
There was a break in his stay in Penang as he went to Kuala Lumpur in 1945 to work as a cartoonist for The Straits Echo. He returned to Penang in 1947 and became active in politics and was a committee member of UMNO. In 1955, he served as a city councillor and had the rare distinction of having a road in Penang named after him ( Jalan Abdullah Ariff ), an honour that no other artist in Malaysia has been accorded since. In 1955, he established the Ariff Advertising Agency.
In 1954, he held one-man shows at North Carolina, and the Mint Museum of Art at Charlotte, New York, U.S.A. In 1955, he participated in the "United Society of Artists" group exhibition at the galleries of the Royal Society of British Artists, London. There, he was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society of Art (F.R.S.A.) England.
In 1956, he was invited to take part in "Le Salon" of the Society of French Artist at the galleries at Grand Palai des Champs-Elysees, France.
In 1957,one of his paintings was chosen as a personal gift to be presented to Tungku Abdul Rahman,Malaysia's first Prime Minister on the occasion of the Merdeka (Independence) celebrations.
Abdullah Ariff passed away in 1962, leaving behind a legacy of excellent watercolour paintings. According to one of his ex-student, Tan Lye Hoe, Abdullah Ariff's philosophy of art is "Art knows no barriers".

Kedah Peak 1950(cat air)

Tin Mine Water Colour 1960

Syed Ahmad Jamal

Syed Ahmad Jamal dilahirkan pada 19 September 1929 di Bandar Maharani, Muar, Johor. Beliau mendapat pendidikan awal di Sekolah Tambatan Rendah, Johor Bahru dari tahun 1936 hingga 1938. Kemudian melanjutkan pelajaran di Sekolah Tambatan Tinggi pada tahun 1939, Sekolah Inggeris Ngee Heng pada tahun 1940, Sekolah Inggeris Bukit Zaharah dan Seterusnya English College (sekarang Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar) Johor Bahru hingga tahun 1949. Beliau kemudian meneruskan pelajaran di Birmingham School of Architecture pada tahun 1950. Pada tahun 1951 hingga 1955, beliau melanjutkan pelajaran di Chelsea School Art, London. Sekembali dari England, beliau bertugas sebagai guru di High School, Batu Pahat, Johor dari tahun 1956 hingga 1957. Pada tahun 1957 beliau bertugas sebagai Pensyarah di Maktab Perguruan Harian, Kuala Lumpur (sekarang Maktab Seri Kota). Pada tahun 1958 hingga 1959 beliau bertugas di Malayan Teacher’s College, Kirkby, Lanc., England. Pada tahun 1963 hingga 1964 beliau mengikuti pengajian seni arca di School of Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois, Amerika Syarikat. Kemudian dia dilantik sebagai Pengetua Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas di Cheras pada tahun 1964. Beliau melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Sarjana Sejarah Seni di University of Hawaii, Honolulu pada tahun 1973. Pada 1974, dia mengikuti pengajian Falsafah Seni Islam di Harvard University, Cambridge, Amerika Syarikat. Sekembalinya ke tanah air, beliau bertugas di Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya dan kemudianya dilantik sebagai Pengarah Pusat Kebudayaan, Univerisiti Malaya pada tahun 1979. Beliau dilantik sebagai Pengarah Balai Seni Lukis Negara pda tahun 1983 hingga 1991. Syed Ahmad Jamal telah menerima pelbagai anugerah: Ahli Mangku Negara(1969); Kesatria Mangku Negara (1983); Asean Cultural Award – Visual Art (1987) dan pada 1995, dia dianugerahkan Anugerah Seni Negara. Dia dianugerah Panglima Jasa Negara pada 1996. Selain melukis dan menyertai pelbagai pameran berkumpulan , dan solo, Syed Ahmad Jamal telah menerbitkan buku-buku kesenian yang penting. Antaranya Rupa dan Jiwa (Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.1992); Kunang-Kunang : Kenang-kenangan Syed Ahmad Jamal Seniman Negara (Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka 1999) serta banyak catalog pameran yang menjadi sumber rujukan bidang seni lukis di Negara ini.