LOT 35
SHAFURDIN HABIB
B. Perak, 1961
Self Portrait, 2004
Oil on canvas
22.5 x 21 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 3,000 – RM 6,000
“Because I am so often alone … because I am the subject I know best.” – artist Frida Kahlo on why she painted so many self-portraits.
One of the most important questions in art is, “Why do artists make self portraits?” Traditionally, artists create portraits of themselves over the course of their careers, as seen in this piece by Shafurdin Habib, who is famed for his village scene and rustic settings on canvases. He is seen here gazing outwards, deep in thought, while his cigarette burns in his right hand. The mood is contemplative and quiet. Beyond representing one’s physical attributes, self-portraiture can also serve to announce one’s vocation as an artist, one’s place in society or one’s style.
Shafurdin Habib was born in Kampung Basong, Perak, in 1961. A hobby he had as a boy, which was drawing in all his exercise book, turned into something big as he developed a real passion for art. Many of his influences are derived from Khalil Ibrahim, whom he befriended after he moved to Kuala Lumpur to pursue art.