Author: Jalaini Abu Hassan
ISBN: 9789672807179
Format: Paperback
Publisher: RogueArt

Seven poems, seven canvas paintings, and seven watercolours by leading Malaysian contemporary artist Jalaini Abu Hassan are brought together in this bilingual book to produce powerful commentary on Malay politics and society now.

A professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for almost 30 years, Jai is always exploring different modes of creativity and expression. He describes this latest project: “As a hybrid form of expression, my new body of work called Catan Sopan (2022) combines poetry and painting using Malay fables and allusions in addressing contemporary socio-cultural, political narratives. As poetry, it functions in a variety of ways – as a form of storytelling, as social realist critique and expression, and as a reflexive monologue supporting the visual agenda of the paintings. It is directed toward a subtle criticism in the manner of the Malay sopan (courteous) approach.”

The poems, written in Malay, have been translated into English by renowned poet and masterful translator, National Laureate Muhammad Haji Salleh, to preserve the artistic/poetic essence of the work for a wider readership. In his welcome note, Muhammad Haji Salleh writes,

“His canvases take us to a nest of symbols that resonate with meaningful proverbs and traditional thinking, while defining our times. These paintings comment on what is happening in his society.”