Biography
Dr. Sulaiman Hj. Esa
Born 12 September 1941
Education
1962 - 1966 Diploma in Art and Design, Hornsey College of Art, London
1967 Post-Graduate in Printmaking, Hornsey College of Art, London
1968 Post-Graduate in Printmaking, Atelier 17, Paris
1974 - 1975 Certificate in Costume Design, Academia de Roma, Rome
1979 - 1981 MA in Fine Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore
1986 - 1996 Ph.D (Islamic Studies), Temple University, Philadelphia
Awards & Commissions
1973 Major Award "Man and His World" Competition, Sponsored by the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1977 Minor Award in Printmaking, Sponsored by the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1985 Commissioned by UMNO for the longest Mural, Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala
1993 Represented Malaysia for the first Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland Gallery, Australia
1994 President of Malaysian Artists' Association (PPM)
1997 Editorial Board member for SEMURNI, Jurnal Pengucapan Islam Dalam Kesenian, FSSR
1998 Consultant to Mashaf al-Quran Malaysia
1999 Arnold Hancock Fellow, Melbourne, Australia
2001 Advisory Editorial Board of Art Corridor Magazine, Kuala Lumpur-Koid Foundation, ITM Kuala Lumpur
2002 Chief Judge for the Phillip Morris International Art Competition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2010 Member in the Panel of Judges for Young Contemporary Art Competition
Selected International Exhibitions
1967 Graduate Show, Hornsey College of Art, London
1968 Post-Graduate Show, Hornsey College of Art, London
1969 Malaysian Art, Mobile Show in Australia and New Zealand
1972 ASEAN Art, Mobile Show in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
1974 ASEAN Art, Mobile Show in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
1978 Malaysian Art 1965- 1978, Commonwealth Insitute, London
1980 ASEAN Art Show, Jakarta
Contemporary Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka
1981 Works on Paper at : City Hall Baltimore Maryland, The Golden Fine Art Gallery Washington D.C., Grimaldis Gallery Baltimore Maryland, Kanagawa Perfecture Museum Yokohama
Art/Drawing Exhibition, Hiratsuka Museum of Art, Hiratsuka
1982 ASEAN Show of Paintings and Photographs in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok
1985 12 Malaysian Artists, Museum of History, Taipei
1988 Contemporary Malaysian Art Exhibition, Pasadena Asian Art Museum, Pasadena
1991 Istiqlal Festival, Jakarta
1993 1st Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane National Art Gallery, Brisbane
Contemporary Islamic Art, Royal Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, Singapore
1995 Opening Ceremony, National Art Museum, Singapore
Istiqlal Festival II, Jakarta
1997 ASEAN Masterworks, Mines Resort City and National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1999 Rupa Malaysia, Brunei House, London
2006 Singapore Biennial, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
Selected National Exhibitions
1970 Salon Malaysia, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1970 Experiment '70, Galeri 11, Kuala Lumpur
1970 Manifestasi Dua Seni 1, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur
1971 New Scene, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1973 Malaysian Landscape, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1973 Man and His World, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1974 Towards A Mystical Reality, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur
1977 Malaysian Fine Art and Graphic Design Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1979 Salon Malaysia, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
1982 25 years of Malaysian Fine Art, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1982 Printmaking, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1982 Viva La Palestine, City Hall, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Painting and Calligraphy, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
1984 American Experience Malaysian Images, American High Commission, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Ke Arah Tauhid I (Solo Exhibition), Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Ke Arah Tauhid II, (Solo Exhibition), Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Open Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Sinarcipta, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur
1984 Second One Show, Kuala Lumpur
1985 Fabric Art, Daya Bumi, Kuala Lumpur
1985 Faculty Show, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1986 Side By Side Contemporary British and Malaysian Art, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1988 Fabric World, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1991 Malaysian Identity, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1992 Islamic Identity in Malaysian Art: Achievements & Challenges, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1993 Form and Soul, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1993 Manifestation of Islamic Spirit, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1993 Islamic Art Exhibition for Ramadhan, lstana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
1993 lmbasan Ledang, National Art Gallery , Kuala Lumpur
1994 Islamic Art Exhibition, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1995 Lembaran 1, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1995 Alternative Printmaking, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1995 Art and Spirituality, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1996 Islamic Expressions in Art, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1997 Oasis in a Storm, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1998 Contemporary Islamic Art of Malaysia: Change and Continuity, Maybank Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
1999 AKU : 99, Petronas Gallery, KLCC
1999 Echoes of Infinity, Gallery of the School of Fine Art, ITM
2000 Rupa Malaysia, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2000 Contemporary Islamic Art in conjunction with Maal Hijrah 1421, Shah Alam Gallery
2001 lnsyirah - The Art of Sulaiman Esa 1980 - 2000, Petronas Gallery, KLCC
2002 Dance of the Cosmos, Sutra Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2007 50 years of Independence, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur
2010 KepadaMu Kekasih, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2011 Raja’ah – Art, Idea and Creativity of Sulaiman Esa 1950s - 2011, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur