작품 상세

When Fauzin Mustafa unleashed his Lost Horizon Series in 1994, it generated great interest over his slab-like painting with Malay symbolic patterns and designs studded with dots all over. It was in his first solo exhibition, Dari Bumi Ke Bumi, at the National Art Gallery’s Creative Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Several others like Akif Emir Teruki had also started using symbols such as the Spiral and the Tree of Life, especially after the 1971 National Cultural Congress. One work from the series that caught the eye was Misteri Alam: Lubok Mandi (1989), about the April 29, 1989, gold-panning tragedy when nine panners were killed in a tunnel landslide from tunneling and deforestation. The mining area spread over a 180-hectare pit site in Lubuk Mandi in Marang. The first gold, however, came only in 2015 and it was found to be of ’90 to 99’ quality grade. The panners then were using hoes, pan buckets and even their bare hands. Fauzin took the incident as a cautionary tale of Man’s greed for money and despoiling the natural environment. He was winning prestigious awards with his own style: Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist (BMS) competition (1988); Minor Award (Painting) in the Salon Malaysia in 1991; 3rd Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award – Malaysia (1994), and an Honourable Mention in the finals in Singapore. He continued his winning streak with 2nd Prize for the Mekarcitra Visual Arts competiton at the Shah Alam Gallery (2007); and Major Award, 1MC mural painting, National Art Gallery (2010). He took part in the Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh (2001), New Art from South-east Asia in Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan (1992), Art Triangle (2007 and 2008), and the Art Expo Malaysia in 2009 (Malaysian Art Idols) and 2014 (Great Malaysian Contemporary Art). He has gone fulltime since 2008. His latest solo, Life Between The Dots, at Core Design Gallery, Selangor, this year. He worked in television and was Media Prima’s head of Set Design, Make-up and Wardrobe (2000-2008) , senior art director (1998-2000), and art director for TV3 (1990-1998). In 1996, he won Best Set Design for TV3 Screen Awards. He graduated with a MFA (2010) and a BFA (1988) from the University ITM.