CORE contemporary art

Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun… is the fourth solo exhibition by Husin Hourmain, and his first since Awal Hurouf Asal Hurouf (2013) which till today is considered a landmark body of works demarcating the rise of contemporary calligraphy in Malaysian art.  Produced over the span of two years, Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun… brings together several of Husin’s signature styles – abstract expressionist mark-making, textural paint, hyper-detailed calligraphy – with new styles, in particular the inclusion of wood and glass as material, as well as installation formats.  Interestingly the series generally reflects an increasingly sober palette of whites, browns and blacks, as opposed to the bright colours Husin has typically favoured in the past.  The seamless intertwinement of these new elements with Husin’s well known signatures demonstrates the conceptual and technical growth of the artist over the past five years.

Over the past five years, Husin Hourmain has produced several major pieces of works which contributed to the progression towards Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun… such as Nota dan Yasin Untukmu, Allah Hu and especially the seminal piece, The Cube.  Of all the works produced post Awal Hurouf Asal Hurouf, Husin considers The Cube (2014) as the most critical segue into Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun…. A large work measuring 239cm x 234cm, The Cube was presented during the Great Malaysia Contemporary Art (GMCA) 2 2014, instigates two lines of discourse: Islam as a religion and the deeply personal, religious persona Husin has sought to bring into his creative practice.