Islamic calligraphy in contemporary art of Malaysia / Nor Azlin Hamidon

This research entitled Islamic Calligraphy in Contemporary
Art of Malaysia contribute to the most neglected area
in the development of the history of art of Malaysia. The
combination of three different traditions – Islam, Malay
and Western traditions had made significant marks on
the form, content and context of the Islamic calligraphy
in the Contemporary Art of Malaysia. The objectives
of this study are firstly to document contemporary art
works of Malaysia that constitutes of Islamic calligraphy.
Secondly, is to establish the styles through formal
analysis, in terms of its size, medium, techniques,
orientation, shape and type of calligraphy. Thirdly, is
to uncover the themes of the calligraphy, the sources
of quotation and its meanings. Fourthly, is to discover
the underlying factors and forces that influence the
production of these art works; and finally, to discern
the spiritual manifestation from the art works. This study,
which covers contemporary art works of Malaysian
artists since 1940’s until 2005, managed to give a better
picture on aspects that have been neglected by the
art historians regarding Islamic and Western impact
on the art of Malaysia. In doing so, the researcher is
inclining to the theory of Iconology proposed by Erwin
Panofsky that covers three levels of analysis, i.e. the
pre-iconographical description, iconological analysis
and iconographical interpretation.