Motifs in Islamic Art Painting Based on the Islamic Aesthetics Theory

This critical analysis is about the study of motifs through Islamic aesthetic theory on the art of Islamic painting in Malaysia which is the work of Sulaiman Esa, especially in Mahsuri 2 which was produced in 1983. This painting was chosen as the medium to be analyzed because Sulaiman Esa was deeply involved in pioneering the Islamic art painting movement in Malaysia with the excellent use of motifs from Malay cultural elements in his painting. He can be considered as one of the earliest Malaysian painters of the 1970s era who is skilled in using Malay-Islamic symbolism motifs through intrinsic meaning in his paintings. This study uses two main methods which are the library research method and the field research method. The problem that arises is the lack of studies directed at the Islamic aesthetic theory in looking at the use of motifs worked by artists in the works of painting that tend to possess the concept of unity, symbolism, refinement, symmetrical, flexibility and useful. The findings of the study show that Mahsuri 2 has applied motifs in line with the Islamic aesthetic theory that displays the beauty of the artist thinking in the production of Islamic art.