London Days

Student Days In London ('62 - '68)

In October, 1962, Sulaiman attended the Hornsey College of Art, UK. London itself was in the midst of Swinging Sixties or aptly called as Swinging London, a state of change, with new art form in modern spirits charged with excitement and world-weariness. Music like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Pop art, Twiggy fashion and everything else was on the upbeat!

A new National Diploma in Design (NDD) was introduced as UK’s art education was undergoing a significant revolutionary change. It emphasizes on critical inquiry and scientific investigative approach as in Diploma in Art & Design (Dip. AD) (Sabapathy, Piyadasa, 1983).

Maurice de Sausmarez, Head of Design department who wrote Basic Design: the Dynamics of Visual Form (1964) had taught Sulaiman the vision and approach in Design. In addition to that, he was also taught by renowned Arnold Hauser, in Social Art History, a move by the Hornsey College where students were taught with new subjects of Art History, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology to widen their understanding and knowledge on art-related fields (Sanusi, Ahmad, 2010).

It was at Hornsey Sulaiman met the late Redza Piyadasa during the second year of his foundation course. They immediately bonded and had great chemistry together as good friends as they were the only Malaysians studying in the Fine Art department then. The new multidisciplinary approaches to art both in theory and practice were found to be intellectually encouraging therefore; they were constantly engaged in its discourses in and outside class hours.

Upon completion his four-year Dip in AD, Sulaiman continued for another year for post-graduate study in printmaking at Hornsey. At his supervisor’s recommendation, he went to further his study at Atelier 17, Paris, with renowned print-maker, William Hayter for six months.