ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD (GREY ON PINK)

Monday, July 27, 2015 at 12:55 AM


 ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD
(GREY ON PINK)
Johari Ishak
Acrylic on Canvas
(Diptic) 2 X 50cm x 40cm
 
2015
Buanaseni Studios Shah Alam

SOLD








ART | BASEL 45 : WHERE IS CONTEMPORARY ART HEADING?

Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 10:17 PM

WHAT IS ART BASEL?

Art Basel stages the world's premier Modern and contemporary art shows, held annually in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel has been a driving force in supporting the role that galleries play in the nurturing of artists, and the development and promotion of visual arts globally. In addition to showing exciting works by world-renowned artists, Art Basel is always innovating, thus expanding its platform for new artists who represent the vanguard of the visual arts. Its worldwide reputation – earned over the last forty five years – for showing work of the highest merit, and attracting the world's leading gallerists and collectors, has made Art Basel the place where the artworld meets.


HISTORY AND ROLE OF ART BASEL

In 1970, a few Basel gallerists put their passion and determination behind an ambitious vision, and now, over forty five years later, Art Basel is recognized as the premier international art show, providing a platform for artists and gallerists from around the world. The dynamic relationships between art galleries, their artists, private collectors and public institutions play an essential role in today's artworld, and connecting the international art community has been Art Basel's goal since its beginning. Three annual shows bring the artworld together in some of the world's most exciting venues: Basel, in the heart of Europe; Miami Beach at the nexus of North and South America; and Hong Kong, the gateway to Asia.


THE PEOPLE AT ART BASEL

Some of the most prominent and respected figures in the international artworld have shared their knowledge, ideas and expertise during Art Basel's Salon and Conversations Series. Behind Art Basel stands a team of individuals with a range and depth of experience in the artworld and related disciplines. Each member channels his or her expertise into making Art Basel shows the most prestigious platform for artists, gallerists, and collectors.


WHAT CAN CONTEMPORARY ART DO?

Messages Portrayed
  • Reflection of what society is concerned with
  • Safer alternative to direct verbal opinion – in Egypt 40,000 jailed
  • Medium of philosophical package
  • Expression on politics, economics and social issues
  • Allowing immediate response to issues in life

Its DNA
  • Cultural space for all to be involved immediately across all faculties
  • If it portrays unexplainable matters, value of art will be destroyed
  • The need for expression is stronger than economic needs of art
  • Collectors do not drive contemporary art direction
  • What artists experience in daily lives that drive contemporary art
  • Manifestation of life into expressions that artists cannot escape
  • Must immediately happen in response to issues in life

Developmental Aspects
  • Professionalised artists positively
  • Encodes knowledge in the body of art (as opposed to other genre)
  • Encourages plurality of medium used for art

Critical Concerns
  • Continuity of contemporary art needs periodic pause
  • The pauses are “autumn/winter” before it can “spring/summer”
  • New ideas require gestation of mind searching and experience
  • Too much judgement from public tends to kill contemporary art

THE MYTH OF GLOBAL ART MARKET

  • Art Basel has always been nominated by the Big 4: USA, Germany, Switzerland and UK for the past 45 years
  • It started on the basis of merchants trading currencies in fairs on private basis to allow international trade
  • Naturally Basel became a place for art exchange for those traders whom became the traditional movers of art economic culture
  • More than 50% of the art slots are given to European gallerists
  • There is a move to push for more art slots from other countrie
  • In year 2000, art movement in Brazil grew when collectors start being appointed on the boards of art museums and as a result, Art Basel has since started to allow more art slots for South Americans
  • As an extension to Art Basel, Art Basel Miami and Art Basel Hong Kong were introduced to house more slots from other countries
  • Saatchi London has shown initiative to be more global by introducing special sections for African art and South American art

FUTURE OF CONTEMPORARY ART?

  • A significant factor discouraging art economics would be tax rates on art sales: Brazil at 60% and China at 30%
  • Data shows that there is a correlation of artists who gets approved for Art Basel with their successful placement to do art shows at galleries and museums
  • Art now seen to be a catalyst for the tourism drive evident by the increase in businesses in Miami because of Art Basel Miami
  • The auctions in China is still predominantly show casing classical art but they are increasingly receptive in accepting contemporary art
  • Many organisations now offer art residency: Foundation Gallerie Lafayatte in Paris, Google Paris Residency and The Land in Thailand
  • Other art fairs are gaining momentum: Art Bienniel Manifesta II (2016) in Zurich that offers grants for international young artists aged 25 – 40
  • Why Zurich? Global culture and; where money is, art gets support





















AL-BAQARAH 255 KEMBALI LAGI / THE COW 255 RETURNS AGAIN

Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 2:47 AM

  
AL-BAQARAH 255 KEMBALI LAGI
THE COW 255 RETURNS AGAIN
Johan Ishak
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
90cm X 90cm
14 July 2015
1:00 a.m.
Buanaseni Studio Shah Alam

SOLD

The Throne Verse (Arabic: آية الكرسيʾāyatu-l-kursī), or Ayatul Kursi, is the 255th verse (ayah) of the second chapter (sura) Al-Baqarah (the Cow). It is the most famous verse of the Qur'an and is widely memorised and displayed in the Islamic world due to its emphatic description of God's power over the entire universe. The English translation of Ayatul Kursi is as follows:
  1. Allah — there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.
  2. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep.
  3. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.
  4. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission?
  5. He knows what is before them and what is behind them;
  6. And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases.
  7. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth;
  8. And he feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them,
  9. For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory).

Ayatul Kursi displays a perfect internal symmetry comprising concentric looping verses surrounding a pivotal chiasm 'x' of the type A B C D X D' C' B' A' The reciter imagines him or herself walking through Ayat Al-Kursi until reaching the centre and seeing what is in front and what is behind, finds they represent a perfect reflection of each other. The central chiasm is represented by "Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum = He knows what is before them and what is behind them" this is flanked symmetrically outwards so that A corresponds to A', B corresponds to B' and so forth. For example line 3 "he is the lord of the heavens and the earth" corresponds exactly to line 7 "his throne extends over heavens and earth". Such is the beauty of this verse that its arrangement is of high level poetic configuration, worthy of the divine words of God that a born illiterate such as Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) could not have created it (the verse) on his own. The Prophet himself acknowledged the power of this verse as evident by his sayings:

“Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi immediately after each prescribed Prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.” [Narrated by an-Nasaaee. Imaam Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Saheeh al Jam i as-Sagheer : 6464]




Subsequent to the sale of the painting, the buyer requested a revision whereby not too much white should be apparent. Hence, I have revisited in reworking this piece that is now appearing as below:


The completion of this work was witnessed by my two art friends, Azhar and Fuad, MyCreative Venture's first entrepreneurs.



AL-BAQARAH 255 KEMBALI / THE COW 255 RETURNS

Monday, July 13, 2015 at 12:43 AM


  
AL-BAQARAH 255 KEMBALI
THE COW 255 RETURNS
Johan Ishak
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
90cm X 90cm
13 July 2015
12:00 a.m.
Buanaseni Studio Shah Alam

SOLD

The Throne Verse (Arabic: آية الكرسيʾāyatu-l-kursī), or Ayatul Kursi, is the 255th verse (ayah) of the second chapter (sura) Al-Baqarah (the Cow). It is the most famous verse of the Qur'an and is widely memorised and displayed in the Islamic world due to its emphatic description of God's power over the entire universe. The English translation of Ayatul Kursi is as follows:
  1. Allah — there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.
  2. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep.
  3. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.
  4. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission?
  5. He knows what is before them and what is behind them;
  6. And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases.
  7. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth;
  8. And he feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them,
  9. For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory).


Ayatul Kursi displays a perfect internal symmetry comprising concentric looping verses surrounding a pivotal chiasm 'x' of the type A B C D X D' C' B' A' The reciter imagines him or herself walking through Ayat Al-Kursi until reaching the centre and seeing what is in front and what is behind, finds they represent a perfect reflection of each other. The central chiasm is represented by "Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum = He knows what is before them and what is behind them" this is flanked symmetrically outwards so that A corresponds to A', B corresponds to B' and so forth. For example line 3 "he is the lord of the heavens and the earth" corresponds exactly to line 7 "his throne extends over heavens and earth". Such is the beauty of this verse that its arrangement is of high level poetic configuration, worthy of the divine words of God that a born illiterate such as Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) could not have created it (the verse) on his own. The Prophet himself acknowledged the power of this verse as evident by his sayings:
“Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi immediately after each prescribed Prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.” [Narrated by an-Nasaaee. Imaam Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Saheeh al Jam i as-Sagheer : 6464]




Subsequent to the sale of the painting, the buyer requested a revision whereby not too much white should be apparent. Hence, I have revisited in reworking this piece that is now appearing as below:











.

AS-SAFFAT 72 / THE RANGER 72

Sunday, July 12, 2015 at 5:05 AM


AS-SAFFAT 72
THE RANGER 72
Johan Ishak
12 July 2015
Acrylic and Ink on Paper and Canvas
90cm x 90cm
Buanaseni Studio Shah Alam
 www.buanaseni.blogspot.com

SOLD

As-Saffat 72 is basically the 72nd verse of the chapter, Surah As-Saffat (the Ranger) from the Holy Quran. It reminds us, human beings, that God Almighty has sent us so many guidances via His Prophets throughout the history of mankind. The verse is printed at the bottom of the art work and its English translation would be as follows, "....and undoubtedly We (the Heavens) have sent reminders (Prophets) amongst you (mankind)". The 25 golden squares bear the names of the 25 Prophets that the Muslims ought to know. 

The 25 prophets are (from right to left and from top row to bottom; with both their Quranic and Christian Bible references): Adam, Ismail (Ishmael), Shuaib (Jethro or Reuel, the Priest of Medyan), Zulkifli (Ezakiel), Elyas (Elijah), Idris (Enoch), Ishak (Isaac), Noh (Noah), Harun (Aaron), Elyasak, Hud (Heber), Ibrahim (Abraham), Muhammad, Musa (Moses), Yunus (Jonah), Salleh, Yaakub (Jaacob), Isa (Jesus), Sulaiman (King Solomon), Yahya (John the Baptist), Luth (Lot), Yusuf (Joseph), Ayyub (Job), Daud (King David) and Zakaria (Zachariah). 

Islam also categorises 5 of these Prophets as the cream amongst the 25 and they are called 'Ulul-Azmi'. I have given Ulul-Azmi a special place in the middle of the arrangment of squares - Muhammad in the middle with Nuh, Ibrahim, Isa and Musa around him clockwise. 

It is the customary protocol to put A.S. at the end of each name to denote Alaihis Salam (Peace be upon him) and for Muhammad, to put S.A.W. for Sallallahu Alaihis was-Salam (Peace of God upon him). I have not put it in for ease of reference but I am highlighting it for respect and acknowledgement of its importance to the Islamic tradition.



The images of "in-progress":





ASMA'UL HUSNA POP NO.2 / THE 100 NAMES OF ALLAH - POP NO.2

Friday, July 10, 2015 at 1:09 AM


ASMA'UL HUSNA POP NO.2
THE 100 NAMES OF ALLAH - POP NO.2
Johan Ishak
9 July 2015
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
90cm x 90cm
Buanaseni Studio Shah Alam
 www.buanaseni.blogspot.com

SOLD


The images of "in-progress":









ASMA'UL HUSNA POP NO.1 / THE 100 NAMES OF ALLAH - POP NO.1

Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at 2:39 AM


ASMA'UL HUSNA POP NO.1
THE 100 NAMES OF ALLAH - POP NO.1
Johan Ishak
8 July 2015
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
90cm x 90cm
Buanaseni Studio Shah Alam
 www.buanaseni.blogspot.com

SOLD



The images of "in-progress":






THE BALLOON PARTY

Saturday, July 4, 2015 at 10:02 PM


 THE BALLOON PARTY
Johan Ishak
Photography
June 2015
Ruang, Subang

AND THERE WAS THE FAMILY IN THE GARDEN

at 9:56 PM



 AND THERE WAS THE FAMILY IN THE GARDEN
Johan Ishak
Model: Roslina, Daniel and Ian
Photography
2015
Shah Alam

THE LAST SUNSET FOR 2014

at 9:46 PM

 THE LAST SUNSET FOR 2014
Johan Ishak
Photography
31 December 2014
Maldives

MALDIVES FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY

at 7:58 PM

 MALDIVES FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Johan Ishak
Models: Johan, Roslina and Native of Maldives
Photography
31 December 2014 - 1 January 2015
Maldives

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