Hussain Ali Manik to Exhibit in China
Maldivian artist Hussain Ali Manik will be participating in the 2007 China Xiuzhouy International Folk Painting Exhibition organized by the China International Exhibition Agency as part of the 3rd China Peasant Painting Art Festival. Hussain will be in China from the 24th to 29th October 2007 to finalize the display of the works and to attend the opening of the exhibition and festival.
Hussain Ali Manik is a former student of Majeedhiyaa School and studied under the first art teacher in the country, the Sri Lankan Mr. J. Swampillai. After beginning to paint seriously while still at school, Hussain also took lessons from the Maldivian master artist and craftsman Sarudaaru Dhon Maniku. Hussain Ali Manik’s early career was as an illustrator at the Education Development Centre which produced various text books and other visual materials to be used by students throughout the country. Hussain is highly versatile in several media including oil and acrylic painting as well as hand printing techniques like screen printing and stencil printing. In addition, Hussain is also accomplished in relief work using a variety of material including cement and plaster.
Hussain Ali Manik is associated with a group of now senior artists who have sustained the practice of painting inspired by traditional themes in the face of increasing exposure of Maldivian culture to the outside world. The introduction of new technologies, the onset of tourism and the advent of globalization have all affected the small community of visual artists in the country in numerous ways. Some succumbed to these sometimes overwhelming influences and concentrated on the production of souvenir items for tourists alone. Several of the traditional craft practices also got lost in the process.
In recognition of his various endeavors in the visual arts, Hussain has been awarded several prizes at national level. Some of these include the National Youth Artist Award in (2001), 1st place in Pen and Ink Drawing, Maldivian National Exhibition (1988) and 1st place in Hand Printing, Maldivian National Exhibition. Additionally he has also exhibited widely both within the country and in the region, and has participated in several prominent events in the region including the 2006 Asian Art Biennale, Bangladesh and the Maldives Contemporary 2005 exhibition held to inaugurate the National Art Gallery. Hussain’s work is also represented in important collections including the collection of the President of the Maldives, the collections of the National Gallery of Modern Art, India and the Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Japan.
source: NAG
