Syed Thajudeen
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The Beginning: Founding of Malacca (2002)
The Eternal Love (2012)
Syed Thajudeen | |
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| Born | 23 August 1943[1] Alagankulam, India |
| Education | Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras, India (now known as Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai)[citation needed] |
| Known for | Painting, Drawing |
| Notable work | Ramayana (1972) The Beginning: Founding of Malacca (2002) The Eternal Love (2012) |
| Movement | Cubism (early works), Surrealism, Figurative |
Syed Thajudeen Shaik Abu Talib (born 23 August 1943) is a Malaysian painter.[2] He is known for his large scale mural paintings of epic proportions set in period landscapes.[3][4] A distinctive stylisation, romantic treatment of subject matter and the rich colours as in the Ajanta cave paintings of Maharashtra and of the Mughal (enriched from the wealth of Indian mythology) are apparent in his works. This, together with the traditional visual arts' integral connection with literature, music, dance, sculpture and philosophy, helped shape Syed's early works. His works, as individualistic as they are, attempt to evoke a state of rasa, or heightened mood that belongs to a larger tapestry and sensibility of Asian artistic traditions. In many instances where his favourite subject matters deal with women and love, they share the same archetypal symbols and metaphors.
He was born in 1943 in the village of Alagankulam in southern India.[5] He spent his formative years as a student in Penang, Malaysia.[5] He pursued his art education at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras, India,[6][7][8] 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. 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 Malay culture and literature which can be seen in his Kebaya series and epic Malacca Sultanate series.[9]
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.[10]
