Underwater Magician

Strewn across the floor of a rented studio at the Malaysia Craft Complex are brushes, half-used tubes of oil paints and a palette of multitudinous hues. Amidst all this confusion, Ajis Mohamad, acclaimed underwater painter, finds peace.

"Like many artists, I wanted to create a trademark, something distinctive, to give my work soul and make it come alive," he says. "That was how the idea of capturing images underwater came about. Being surrounded by water is a beautiful, tranquil and incomparable experience. When I paint, I'm merely transferring what I view and feel onto the canvas."

His Photo-Realist paintings have clearly found a ready market. "Many of my buyers come here on a regular basis to see my work, there are even some who insist on purchasing works in progress, not even waiting to view the finished product first," he laughs. "Many of my clients are lawyers, engineers, mostly professionals. Some even take part in my art workshops that I conduct for free to anyone who wishes to learn my techniques."

A far cry from the late 1980s when, as a struggling artist, he had his share of sleeping rough on the roadside. Denied a chance to study art at UiTM, he was determined to make a success of it, although he had to persevere through four years of drawing portraits at Kuala Lumpur's Central Market in the early 1990s. Later, when he was producing for shows at the APS Gallery (mostly figurative and representational paintings), he would go on snorkelling trips to relax. He got hooked, took his scuba diving licence, and has been painting underwater scenes since.

His detailed paintings take him one to 1H months to finish, although his output is not regular. He paints from sketches, his own photographs, and memory. While diving, he uses oil pastels on treated canvas, which is carefully attached to a flat board, to sketch underwater. It takes a lot of practice to get it right, he says. "The most difficult part is maintaining my buoyancy underwater. It's hard trying to do that when you're holding on to a huge board, and fighting against underwater currents, while trying to sketch in the limited time."

With experience, however, he learned to control his breathing, and everything else fell into place. "I can now be in a sitting pose and hold my position in mid-water while I sketch or take notes for reference purposes.

"For my underwater series, I use oil-based paints, because it's easy to apply and manage them on a huge canvas surface. As most of my works are rather large, it's much easier to correct mistakes too. But if you want to know how I retain the colour underwater, you'll have to attend one of my workshops to find out that little secret."

In his early underwater paintings, he would include everything he saw. Now, he says, he is more selective. "I play with the tone of the colour itself. When you are working within the chromatic values of one particular colour, it can be very challenging. You have to know how to create depth, length, width and so on with just that one colour."

His subject matter, though, is more eclectic. In his latest series, simply entitled 'Blue', turtles are his main subject, but he doesn't limit himself to just one marine creature. Different creatures have different attitudes and characteristics, he says, and he finds each one equally fascinating.

Some of his works are in private and corporate collections; some are exhibited on cruise ships. "People see something they like, and they spread the word. I've had buyers from the US who saw my painting on a ship and came to see me to get one for themselves."

His favourite dive destination is Tenggol, though Pulau Perhentian (also in Terengganu) feels more like a second home to him. He has been actively involved in a coral replanting project at Perhentian Kecil (as committee member of Coral Malaysia), a form of direct action he finds deeply satisfying. "As artists it is important that we are involved in the process as we ourselves are part of the process," he says. "I derive my ideas and inspirations from the sea, so it's only fair that I give something back."

At first, he says, he painted just for personal satisfaction, but now sees that painting can also be a means to educate the public, to share what he feels with others. "It's nice to know that I can make a difference."

If there's one hope that he harbours, it is that our precious corals and marine life may, with proper care and education, still be around for future generations to enjoy.