Etched on an ancient marble in a Jewish burial site in Penang, Malaysia, HOL, references a complex high-level mathematical theory “Higher Order Logic”. Interpreted as an acronym for “Higher Order Love” by the artist, it means eternal love or unconditional love that is manifested into an ever growing and mutating world fed by memories and sensations of the real-world. Memories as interpreted by the artist, evolve and mutate and eventually transform into a cerebral wilderness similar to a permanent forest reserve. Much like his earlier works, the universe of HOL is informed by the artist’s personal experience, life events and rites of passages. The physical manifestation of the universe is divided into chapters that displays episodes of memories and snippets of the artist’s life, conjuring complex scenes and wondrous landscapes populated by raging wild animals, strange characters in quarantine suits, a lake of seeds and places of worship. Real-world and fiction are woven on paper through precise and intricate drawn lines and luscious color swatches.
HOL (Higher Order Love) Chapter 2.3 Wound: Environment of Naga and Doubt present stories and memories of tales from a time in Pulau Pangkor of racial riots, migration and alienation, a time which relates to Hasanul’s ancestry and heritage through stories lived and told by his parents. They depict scenarios of an aftermath, where groups of people are divided into departments in charge of border control, medic, conservation and preservation respectively. These drawings come together as a reflection on global situations within the historical and current context.
