Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. -Leonardo da Vinci.
The strength of interpretation from the artist’s mind is more beautiful and has higher value of aesthetics than that seen by the naked eye. The artists are allowed to add or exclude what he thinks best to achieve aesthetic value desired or what he thinks appropriate to express his work of art.
Johan Marjonid, a renowned forest landscape artist, successfully interpreted the real nature through paintings. Looking at his paintings make the audience feels calm, peace and harmony. Johan uses monochromatic green to capture space, form and give us the sense of realistic feelings when looking at his works.
He has deep passion for nature. From the very beginning, Johan’s first solo exhibition at the Main Lobby, Balai Berita NSTP, Kuala Lumpur in 2005 portrayed tropical forest as his main subject. His fascination towards nature continues to his very last work, ‘Coolness and Tranquillity III’. His collectors and viewers named him the ‘Realistic Tropical Rainforest Painter’ for his obsession to nature.
Johan resembles English romantic landscape painter Joseph Mallord William Turner. Turner was one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He was also known as “the painter of light” due to his ability to mix romantic shades in every piece he produced. Johan’s ability to interpret plants, trees, river, waterfalls and hilly landscapes made those elements as part of him selves. Johan’s hometown was surrounded by green and panoramic hillsides at Kampung Jelutung, Ayer Baloi, Pontian, Johor.
The peace and calmness of his hometown gives him thousands of inspirations to capture the kampong scene on to his canvas. Johan invited his audience and viewers to appreciate nature and green through his meticulous painted canvas. To freshen up his ideas and inspirations, Johan and a group of artists often go for nature expeditions into the woods. Among the places he visited are Tasik Banding and Forest of Royal Belum in Perak.
In this solo exhibition, Johan focuses works from his experiences at Tasik Banding, from the Perak River right to the Forest of Royal Belum. The interesting journey in The Tranquil Morning at Royal Belum 1, portrays little islands in this very huge lake and very interesting decaying woods stand firm in the lake that somehow created a comforting and relaxing mood to his viewers.
Johan received his formal art education at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Fine Arts. He has won a few national competitions such as Consolation Prize Street Banner Competition National Art Gallery, First Prize Malaysian Landscape `94 National Art Gallery, Consolation Prize, International Category Kenyir Eco-Fest`94 Art Competition Terengganu, Consolation Prize Drawing Competition Shah Alam Gallery and Consolation Prize MEKAR CITRA 2007 Shah Alam Gallery. He also lectures at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Selangor (UNiSEL), New Era College, Kolej Universiti Teknologi Pengurusan Malaysia (KUTPM), MTDC Multimedia Academy (MMA) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
Johan’s works at PINKGUY Art Gallery focuses on tranquillity. Each painting shows serenity and peace that gives the audience calmness and peacefulness and sometimes creates stillness to the moment of spur. Each painting created from thousand of green hues that coordinate to portray realistic nature of Tasik Banding right to the Forest of Royal Belum.
Johan likes to paint on large sized canvases. He feels the satisfaction when he invites the audience into his 15 x 5 feet forest canvas. For Johan, the Royal Belum Forest is an unexplained beauty. He wishes that his paintings could at least portrays a little of its exquisiteness so people could be more appreciative towards nature.
Johan’s paintings are collected by the National Art Gallery, Malaysian Timber Council, Pos Malaysia Berhad, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), Hong Leong Bank Berhad, Sime Darby Berhad and The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad.
Suzlee Ibrahim, who recently was awarded by the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Tokoh Seni ‘Citra Kencana’ 2010, curates this exhibition. Suzlee is also a lecturer at the Akademi Seni Budaya & Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA).
Website: http://pinkguy.com.my/