030

LITERATURE
45@45, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, 2003, illustrated on page 67.

EXHIBITED
Yes Or No?, Maison of Malaysian Art, Kuala Lumpur, 12 December 2011 - 1 January 2012, illustrated on catalogue.

One of his most celebrated images, Katak Nak Jadi Lembu is exemplary of Juhari’s forte in woodcut print, which is his favourite printmaking technique. Juhari is one of the few artists who have held true to the art of printmaking even though it is a marginalised genre of visual art in Malaysia. To him, this traditional form of art is no less significant than conventional media of painting and drawing, and is made all the more precious with the advanced and effortless techniques of printing machineries. According to Prof. Dr. Zakaria Ali in his essay The Woodcuts of Juhari Said, ‘a woodcut conceals nothing: a splinter, a jagged edge, a missed turn are all imprinted, literally in black and white’. The delicate lines, intricate texture and clever use of contrast in this piece clearly reflect Juhari’s remarkable ability in championing this challenging technique.

Part of the Proverbs series, Katak Nak Jadi Lembu is a satirical commentary on people who pretend or desire to be what they are not. It serves as a reminder to the viewer to stay truly honest to oneself, or risk ending up a nobody – like the half-bull-half-frog illustrated. Editions of this print are currently held in the permanent collection of the National Visual Arts Gallery, as well as several esteemed private collections in the country.

Juhari Said graduated from UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA) in 1983. Juhari received the award from Major Prize (Printmaking), Salon Malaysia and was awarded a research grant by French Government and Japan Foundation. In Tokyo he studied under woodblock artist Yoshisuke Funasaka. He was also awarded Anugerah Karyawan Seni by the Unity Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry in 2009.