Image size: 75.0 x 105.3 cm
Ismail Hashim (1940-2013) was an artist and educator who became an important figure in art photography in Malaysia. He was known particularly for his hand-tinted gelatin silver prints, rich in detail of the everyday humdrum and are often imbued with humour and irony in their titles. Ismail started taking art photography seriously in 1973, when he met his lecturer Robert Crock in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. He received a national recognition in 1977 when he won the major prize in the National Photography Competition with Berdiri atas Kaki Sendiri atas Dua Roda (Standing on Your Feet on Two Wheels), a grid photo collage comprising over a hundred images of traders on bicycles and motorcycles. Throughout his lifetime, Ismail repeatedly took photos of bicycle seats, trishaws, grasscutters, post boxes, giving attention to objects which are otherwise ignored. His interest in these objects as his photographic subjects foregrounds his keen interest in reflecting the social undercurrents of his present day.
