Shafie Hassan

028

b. Kedah, 1948
Shafie Hassan
Cuti Sekolah
2001
signed and dated ‘SHAFIE HASSAN 01’ (lower left)
watercolour on paper
79.2 x 63.2cm
Provenance
Private collection, Kuala Lumpur; acquired directly from the artist.
Estimate
RM 4,000 – 8,000
Price Realised
RM 22,000

EXHIBITED
Kenja Kertas, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, 2006, illustrated on leaflet.

This extraordinary watercolour shows two kampung boys in lush rural scenery, during school holidays, carrying traditional basket-woven fish traps over their shoulders and walking on a fallen tree trunk placed across the stream as a makeshift bridge. The younger one is clad in a bright batik sarong while the other has a simpler checked sarong. In the village, playthings are often improvised from what they can find in their rural surroundings, unlike the sophisticated toys of city kids.

Born in Kedah in 1958, Shafie Hassan was trained at Teacher Training College Kota Baru in 1978 and Specialist Teachers Training Institute in 1986. Shafie received his art education at University Science of Malaysia in 1994. He received First Prize at the PNB Art Competition, First Prize for UNESCO Poster, and the Malaysian Watercolour Society Award in 1990. He is regarded as one of the finest watercolourists in the country.