Created almost two decades ago, Kendi II depicts a traditional stove top kettle spontaneously hand-drawn in charcoal alongside a hand catapult and other abstract shapes. Executed with dark palette, this work on paper exudes a nostalgic memory of a past, reminding the artist and the viewer of a simple life through the use of domestic objects.
 

Having spent his childhood in Perak and raised in an orthodox Malay household, Jalaini Abu Hassan’s exposure in the West has shaped not just his artistic ideas and techniques but also his world and cultural viewpoint. By incorporating an amalgamation of domestic objects, local plants and other items such as a stool, birdcage, Indian mulberry fruit, lotus seed pod, bird’s nest and a fish into his work in a stylistic manner, he brings himself closer to his personal childhood memory. Jai, as the artist is affectionately known sees himself as a shaman who heals through his art. He has since produced figurative works that represent current social, political and cultural affairs.
 

Jalaini Abu Hassan graduated with a BA (Fine Art) at the Mara Institute of Technology in 1985. He obtained his first MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art, London in 1988. Upon his return from New York after receiving his second MFA (Pratt Institute, 1994), he unveiled his signature Tradisi Melayu still life at the exhibition Lifeform at Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 1996. His awards include the Major Award in the highly coveted Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1985, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Gold Award in 1991, First Prize (Drawing) in the Murray Hill Art Competition (New York) in 1994, and the Rado Switzerland Commission Award in 2005. He has participated in exhibitions such as 12 ASEAN Artists (2002) and Malaysian Art Now (2004) at National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur and international art fairs such as Art Singapore and Melbourne Art Fair 2006. Jai is currently undergoing his PhD in Studio Practice Research in Painting from the UiTM Shah Alam where he is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Art and Design. He has recently held an exclusive one-night-only solo exhibition titled Dato’ Rock (2014) held in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. He has recently participated in a group exhibition by The F Klub titled Being Human: Figuratism of 16 Malaysian Artists which was showcased at Art Stage Singapore 2015 and White Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur (2015) alongside Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Kow Leong Kiang, Chong Siew Ying and 12 others.