Mohd. Hoessein Enas, Dato’

075

b. Indonesia, 1924 – d. 1995
Mohd. Hoessein Enas, Dato’
Sarawak Beauty
1993
signed and dated ‘Hoessein enas ‘93’ (lower left)
pastel on paper
46.3 x 30.6cm
Provenance
Private collection, Penang; acquired through The Art Gallery, Penang.
Estimate
RM 23,000 – 30,000
Price Realised
RM 46,200

LITERATURE
The Life and Art of Dato’ M. Hoessein Enas, Dr. Tan Chee Khuan, The Art Gallery, Penang, 1999, illustrated on page 88.

Hoessein Enas was captivated by the aura and colourful costumes of Sarawak tribal culture. Here, he captures a young Lun Bawang woman with all her charm and innocence, decked with beads (headgear and dress) that have been closely associated with the Orang Ulu people. She is probably dressed up for the big Gawai Festival or the Irao Aco Lun Bawang, which all fall on June 1. His oil on canvas, Iban Woman, is currently held in the permanent collection of National Visual Arts Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

Born in Bogor, Indonesia, Enas migrated to Singapore in 1945 and became a citizen of the Federation of Malaya in 1956. He formed Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (The Peninsular Artists Force) in 1956. He won a UNESCO Fellowship and an Asia Foundation Grant for a year study tour round the world to observe art development. He was honoured by the National Art Gallery in 1966 with a retrospective exhibition. In 1990, he was conferred the title of Royal Portrait Painter by Sultan of Selangor. Hoessein Enas is widely acclaimed as the Father of Malaysian Portrait painting.