LOT 89
SYED AHMAD JAMAL, DATUK
B. Johor, 1929 – 2011
Al-Mubarak, 2008
Acrylic on board
51 x 81 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Signed and dated “A. ‘08” on lower right. Illustrated on pages 60 & 61 of the Syed Ahmad Jamal Guru Boje / Guru of Colour Book published in 2014.
RM 70,000 – 140,000
An iconic force in the trajectory of Malaysian modernism, Johor born National Art Laureate Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal fundamentally shaped the nation’s visual identity by synthesising Western Abstract Expressionism with profound spiritual and indigenous philosophies. This lifelong dialogue between the gestural and the sacred culminates beautifully in his late career 2008 masterpiece, Al-Mubarak (The Blessed). Translating divine blessing into visual form, the artwork utilizes Jamal’s signature geometric architecture and a luminous, celestial palette to evoke an atmosphere of pure transcendence. Rather than relying on literal representation, he employs dynamic, upward striving lines and radiant fields of colour that simulate a descent of divine light and spiritual grace. By balancing rigorous structural harmony with an ethereal, emotive energy, Al-Mubarak stands as a powerful testament to Jamal’s late period mastery, a visual prayer that captures the invisible, uplifting essence of faith, peace, and ultimate benediction.