Harapan

In his search for an alternative paradigm to Western centric art making, Esa calls on the need for awareness of Eastern art and to progress by going back to one’s tradition. The clash of Western art (exemplified by the naked human figure which is a forbidden type of representation in Islamic) and decorative patterns from Islamic art is a metaphor for the internal artistic struggle that Esa was experiencing. This work, titled Harapan, which means "hope" in Malay, signals a more sanguine view to such a rapprochment between East and West.

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Photograph of Malay vinyl record, ‘Putus Kaseh Putus Harapan (Broken Love, Broken Dreams)’ by Ali Aziz

The lobby of the Glass Hotel at the junction of Havelock and Outram Roads

The lobby of the Glass Hotel at the junction of Havelock and Outram Roads

The lobby of the Glass Hotel at the junction of Havelock and Outram Roads