Khalil Ibrahim: Peasant Landscape: An exhibition by Khalil Ibrahim & Shafurdin Habib

Peasant Landscapes is KL Lifestyle Art Space’s inaugural exhibition and it showcases romantic landscapes by Khalil Ibrahim and Sharfudin Habib.

Virtuosos in landscape painting, these senior artists explore the charms and quintessential characteristics of Malaysia’s rich countryside through watercolour and other mediums and the similarities between the works of both artists will be of interest to audiences.

Khalil, who was born in Kubang Krian Kelantan in 1932, was one of the first Malaysians to receive a state scholarship to study at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. His illustrious career has seen him tackle a variety of genres including figuration and abstraction, and, the artist’s stunning depictions of Malaysia’s East Coast are amongst the most memorable works in the history of Malaysian art.

Scenes of the countryside by Sharfudin offer us an insight into the artist’s rustic childhood in Kampung Basong, Perak, and the influence of Khalil is apparent in Sharfudin’s work. The senior artist played an influential role in Sharfudin’s early years as an artist and the two artists have maintained a close relationship for a few decades now.

The beautiful artworks in Peasant Landscapes offer us a window onto the landscapes of our fast depleting countryside, as nature and traditional ways of life are both slowly being replaced by modern lifestyles and widespread development.