Senior Parliamentary Secretary
Ministry of Information and the Arts
Singapore
In the new knowledge-based world where science and technology rules practically every aspect of our life and in an era where innovation and obsoleteness go hand in hand, having with us artistes who are continuously striving to enrich our creative world is most heartening.
I congratulate APAD for its Breeze 2000 project and Mr Abdul Ghani Hamid, our writer cum poet and painter for again playing the key role with his solo exhibition. With APAD joining the cyberworld by having its website featuring the works in this exhibition, it is expected that the audience for the exhibition would be far and wide.
I wish APAD and Mr Abdul Ghani Hamid the very best.
YATIMAN YUSOF
SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND THE ARTS
The Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD) is proud to organise “Breeze 2000” - the 6th Solo Art Exhibition by Mr. Abdul Ghani Hamid. Apart from being known as a prolific literary writer and poet, APAD would like to present the other sought-after talent of Mr. Ghani. As a painter, he had held five solo exhibitions (1972-1989) and participated in more than 60 group exhibitions since 1950.
His early paintings were considered too modernistic, where rural scenes like kampung, were the mainstays in many of the art exhibitions held at that time. Today we are not troubled by the many modern art pieces executed by art students and young artists. Mr. Ghani’s approach to modern art remains relevant in the current visual art scene as he approaches his circle of creativeness after 50 years. This is indeed a significant contribution by a painter to the arts of Singapore.
Apart from being a consistent painter, Mr. Ghani provides leadership and played a major role in the founding of APAD in 1962. APAD has achieved much success with his wisdom and unselfish devotion to the association. Although synonymous with APAD, he is also a much-respected figure in other fields.
Mr. Ghani’s literary achievements were recognised in 1998 by the Malay Language Council of Singapore which awarded him the Tun Seri Lanang Award, the highest literary award for Malay Literature. In that same year, he was conferred the S.E.A. Write Award, presented personally by the Crown Prince Maha Vajiranlongkorn of Thailand. The following year, he was awarded the National Arts Council’s 1999 Cultural Medallion (Literature) by Mr. Lee Yock Suan, Minister for Information and the Arts and Minister for the Environment.
There is no other way that APAD could reward Mr. Ghani for his sacrifices and hard work in the early days of the association’s inception. I gather this is the most appropriate and opportune time to organise a solo exhibition for Mr. Ghani in recognition for his valuable contribution to the association and the arts of Singapore.
I hope you will enjoy this exhibition as much as APAD has enjoyed putting up the art pieces together for you.
Abdul Rahman Rais
President
Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya