Keringat - Tales of Our Forefathers

Yee Chin Ming was an academic staff member at the Malaysian Institute of Art in 1970 and a member of the Wednesday Art Group. In the 1960s, together with Phoon Poh Hoong, he painted a mural at Stadium Negara depicting Malayan life and culture.

The 'Rubber Tapper' was painted mostly in secondary colours such as green and orange. Green brings the meaning of nature and symbolises growth and harmony, whilst orange is affiliated with joy, sunshine and the tropics. Furthermore, the rubber tappers' determination in their vocation is indicated through the orange hue. In this cubism work, the nation's biggest export at that point of time, rubber, is showcased through the strength and endurance of its tireless rubber tappers.

WINDY DAY
1956

Abdullah Ariff
Watercolour
37.5 x 55.5 cm

Born:
1904 - 1962, Georgetown, Penang

Collection of Bank Negara Malaysia

Exposed to artistic pursuits from a young age, Hu Te Hsin began his journey with art when he was just six years old. Born in 1926, the artist learned charcoal and watercolour painting in high school. He majored in literature and ancient inscriptions at the National Peking University of China. He then moved to Taiwan and worked for periodicals while studying engraving, screen printing, and graphic techniques.

In 1961, he came to Malaya and accomplished a solo show of batik paintings. He blended different techniques into his batik painting, particularly fusing features of traditional Chinese art with batik details.

In 'Rubber Tapper', Hu Te Hsin created a distinct aesthetic by using soft tones and gradations. In the foreground, two women in sarees walk side-by-side, carrying buckets full of latex. Further in front of them, a child and a woman can be seen walking along the same path. Around them are tapped rubber trees, indicating a larger human presence.

PADDY FIELD
1986

AJ Rahman
Watercolour
27 x 37 cm

Born:
1922 - 1995, Kedah

Collection of Bank Negara Malaysia

Born in Kedah, Maamor Jantan worked at an art gallery in the 1980s, where he became acquainted with artists, one of whom was Khalil Ibrahim. With Khalil's guidance as a mentor, Maamor joined the Malaysian Watercolour Society.

Maamor's unique style as a watercolourist had made him one of the most outstanding young artists of the time. He has his own natural flair and an unusual approach of creating exquisite blotches of bleached shades. Maamor expressed that he relishes in painting idyllic countryside scenes.

'Senandung' illustrates one such tranquil landscape with a paddy field where natural tones like blue sky, green field, and brown soil denote a typical rural surrounding. The artist portrayed a woman winnowing rice from husk by using a nyiru, a flat woven rattan tray. In the background, a woman walks with a child playing a flute.

PADDY FIELD - KEDAH
1986

Cheah Yew Saik
Watercolour
55 x 75 cm

Born:
1939, Sungai Petani, Kedah

Collection of Bank Negara Malaysia

Toya Lim, who grew up in Penang, had accustomed himself with watercolour, Chinese ink, and batik painting from a young age. However, after high school, he had to take on a job as a rubber tapper to supplement his family's minimal earnings. Eventually his luck turned in 1971 when he was accepted to further his studies at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Toya was also known as one of the most innovative batik artists of the time. He infused Seuratist techniques into batik painting by abolishing the signature crackles and outlines that were usually seen on the batik textiles into something more unique.

Ploughing is the action of preparing the soil for the planting of seeds by loosening it first by using a plough. In this painting, a farmer is ploughing the field with the help of two buffaloes. Traditionally, these were drawn by buffalos as could be observed in the painting by Toya, with the same title 'Ploughing'.

RICEFIELDS AND COWS
1989

Abdul Rahman Rahim
Oil Paint
50 x 70 cm

Born:
1944, Penang

Collection of Bank Negara Malaysia

During the invasion of Japan, many drawing competitions were organised by the Japanese. This is one of the propaganda made by them as a way of improving the standard of living. Ibrahim Abu Bakar or also known as A.B. Ibrahim took his chance, and because of his talent in artistry, he was exempted from being mobilised by the Japanese to build railways between Burma and Siam that were known as the "Death Railway".

A self-taught artist who loved to work with watercolours, Ibrahim skilled in rhapsodise local view and sceneries. Though Ibrahim was born and raised in Alor Setar, but he spent most of his time selling his arts and searching for inspiration in Penang.

His 'Harvesting Rice' represents rural scenes that portray the subtle earth-like colours of the paddy field, was artist's visualisation of one of the rural economic industries. Ibrahim popped up lively colours such as blue and orange, which bring the meaning of energetic, health, and vitality to the painted figures.

TUMBUK PADI
1990

Ismail Mat Hussin
Batik
99 x 107 cm

Born:
1938 - 2015 Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Collection of Bank Negara Malaysia

COCONUT PLANTATION
1948

Abdullah Ariff
Watercolour
38 x 56 cm

Born:
1904 - 1962, Georgetown, Penang

Collection of Galeri Petronas

THE CHAKRA
2013

Chang Yoong Chia
Stamps and polyvinyl acetate glue (collage)
92.5 x 59.5 cm

Born:
1975, Kuala Lumpur

Collection of Bingley Sim & Ima Norbinsha