Mohd. Hoessein Enas, Dato’

001

b. Indonesia, 1924 – d. 1995
Mohd. Hoessein Enas, Dato’
Peasant Girl
1993
signed and dated ‘Hoessein Enas ‘93’ (bottom left)
pastel on paper
48 x 32cm
Provenance
Private collection, Penang; acquired through The Art Gallery, Penang.
Estimate
RM 15,000 – 20,000
Price Realised
RM 44,000

ILLUSTRATED
Page 88, The Life and Art of Dato’ M. Hoessein Enas (The Art Gallery, 1999)
Page 345, Pioneers of Malaysian Art (Dr. Tan Chee Khuan, The Art Gallery Penang, 1994)

Dato’ Hoessein Enas brought the best portrai-ture traditions of Basuki Abdullah (1915-93) and Dullah (1919-1996) from Indonesia to Malaysia when fleeing political prosecution. His Indonesian chapter was a colourful life, and he was even a one-man Thomas de la Rue, printing his own currency in Labuhan Balik during the Independence struggles.

This work was done during a convalescence period after a second bypass operation in the United States, returning in September 1992. Although feted by the royalty and VIPS, Hoessein also found great challenge in doing portraits of the ordinary kampung people, with their radiant innocence. His confident handling of pastels here marked a fervent phase that showed nothing amiss. But ill health set in again and troubled him until his death at the age of 71.