Representing Malay Culture in Malaysian Landscape Painting: A Visual Content Analysis

Abstract

Contemporary landscape painting in Malaysia often reflects Malay cultural values embedded within the visual environment. However, scholarly discussions on Malay cultural elements remain limited and are rarely examined through a systematic analytical framework. Most previous studies have focused on stylistic development, historical narratives, or artist biographies rather than exploring how Malay cultural identity is visually constructed within landscape compositions. This study aims to identify and analyse Malay cultural elements in contemporary Malaysian landscape paintings. A qualitative approach using visual content analysis was employed to examine selected paintings produced by Malaysian artists between the 1990s and 2019. The analysis focused on landscape subjects, cultural symbols, compositional structures, and representations of the relationship between humans and nature. The findings reveal that Malay cultural elements are manifested through several key categories, including tropical natural settings, traditional rural environments, Malay cultural symbols, and aesthetic values emphasising harmony and visual simplicity. These elements function as both compositional features and visual indicators of cultural identity. In conclusion, contemporary Malaysian landscape painting serves as a significant visual medium through which Malay cultural identity is articulated. This study fills a critical gap in Malaysian art studies by systematically mapping Malay cultural elements in landscape painting. This study also contributes to Malaysian visual art discourse by providing a systematic visual content analysis approach for understanding the representation of Malay cultural elements in contemporary landscape painting.