It’s not difficult to spot a Husin Hourmain. His contemporary Arabic calligraphy works stand out in a sea of abstract, figurative and expressionism art. While many artists refrain from engaging with religion in their crafts, Husin wears his identity on his sleeve.

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In his latest exhibition at the National Visual Arts Gallery Kuala Lumpur, Husin’s newest bodies of work is held together by the Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun… quest and it is said to be a very personal interpretation of the artist’s journey as a Malaysian Muslim.

Two years in the making and presented by Core Design Gallery, his fourth solo exhibition explores the six pillars of faith in Islam and when asked about his takeaway, he said: “Aku: Dalam Mencari Rukun… taught me to understand that knowledge is key to every successful journey to any destiny. The research of this series has opened up my understanding towards the six pillars of Islam in an abstract way.”

The six pillars of faith include belief in Allah, belief in angels, belief in the Quran, belief in the prophets, belief in the Day of Judgement and belief in fate. The artist skilfully treads his exploration on canvas by employing abstract mark-making, detailed calligraphy, text, muted colours and minimalist iconography.