20 August 2008
This month, Galeri Chandan focuses on celebrated impressionist artist Razak Abdullah who carves a unique niche for himself in not only being an artist who paints, but who also dives in order to bring to life images of the underwater world.
Entitled “Portraits of Bidong”, this special showcase by Razak entices the senses with ingenious strokes that capture the vivid movements of the water and the chemistry of the seas in divine detail resulting in the birth of beauty incomparable as seen through the eyes and masterful strokes of this impressionist artist.
Being the second exhibition after Galeri Chandan’s official opening that showcased a spectacular display of works by 21 Perak-born artists, Razak’s works perpetuate the art gallery owners’ vision of providing a value-added platform for showcasing the works of artists that continue to rotate on a monthly basis.
National art Laureate Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal ascribes Razak as an impressionist who “records the peace of nature” while the late Redza Piyadasa referred to him as artist who produces impressionist and atmospheric landscapes.
“Pulau Bidong is like a melting pot of emotions,” shares Razak, adding that he sees in this island, a hidden treasure with spiritual connotations and beauty which is expressed through his paintings in detail.
“Sejarah hidup, mati, bercinta, sejarah menunggu… mengharap berada di sini,”(“The history of life, death, of waiting and hoping took place here,”) recalls the artist, breaking out into a lyrical expression of the island that was rooted in the Vietnamese people’s sense of waiting to be relocated to other countries abroad.
It is this very multi-faceted beauty, trials and tribulations surrounding this island that Razak intended to capture in his paintings that represent a celebration of beauty as the artist believes that as much as the island represented a waiting place of sorts, there was also a sense of “pesta kenantian” or “celebration of waiting” that took place.
“To me, Pulau Bidong represents the canvas of life. Inside the water, as in under the seas, the current doesn’t just go in one direction… Sometimes the sea also experiences trouble just like life,” he relates with passion.
Razak also takes time to explain how his impressionist art deals with lights and shadows which fall differently under the sea as opposed to the situation on land. A firm believer of the power of beauty, Razak makes it a point to ensure that all his paintings are aesthetic and therapeutic to behold.
Along his artistic journey, the intriguing discovery of perfection is captured so precisely, beautifully and consistently as seen reflected in his signature rise to fame in “Monsoon Break”, followed by the “Lake Garden” and “Melawati Quartz” series that reflect a talented artist’s ability to not only savour beauty, but to celebrate it in works of art with perpetuity in mind.
To savour the richest flavours outlining the hidden Eden of the deep, come and be touched by paintings borne by the hands and imagination of a passionate artist in search of the soul of the sea.