In isolation during the pandemic, Syed Thajudeen found his solace and inner peace through introspection. A man of faith, purpose and love, his introspection evolved into a unique body of work moving away from his signature style of colourful surreal figurative art. Surrounded by deep and sombre colors, Syed Thajudeen’s Arabic calligraphy emits transcendental brightness evoking a sense of tranquility and serenity. It is a visualisation of a meditative state similar to Sufi chants and swirling dervishes. The paintings bring a sense of zen to the space it occupies.
’’I felt a sense of helplessness with the pandemic and the anguish this novel and invisible virus has caused the world. These paintings were part of my zikr, meditation, submission and self healing. It brought me calm and I hope it will do the same for my viewers.” – Syed Thajudeen
There are only a limited number of paintings from this series.
Syed Thajudeen spent his formative years as a student in Penang. He pursued his art education at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras, India in 1968, graduating with a post diploma in Fine Arts in 1974. Returning to Malaysia, he joined Institut Teknologi MARA as a lecturer in Fine Arts from 1974 to 1976. In 1977, Syed Thajudeen joined the United Asian Bank as a resident artist.
He is now one of the stalwarts of the Malaysian art scene with 50 years of experience. His mastery in the figurative art is clearly manifested in his miniature artworks to his mural sized masterpieces. Although Syed Thajudeen’s stylization are influenced by the Bauhaus art of Paul Klee and his Indian education background, themes of his work are mostly based on the Malaysian culture and literature which can be seen in his Kebaya & Cheongsam series and the epic Malacca Sultanate series.
Syed Thajudeen has exhibited extensively around the world, including the USA, Belgium, UK, and China with 10 solo exhibitions under his belt to date. His works decorate the walls of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, Singapore Art Museum, Beijing Olympic Museum, Galeri PETRONAS, corporate buildings and many private homes in Malaysia and abroad.
In 2015, he was honoured by the Penang State Government by being invited to hold his Retrospective at the Penang State Art Gallery & Museum. He has also served as a member of the Malaysian National Visual Arts Development Board.
More details on Syed Thajudeen can be found at syedthajudeen.com.
To purchase, please contact +60193817786.
The Bauhaus Gallery
No.14, Jalan 3/64, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
info@thebauhausgallery.com
M: +6019 3817786
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