A Malaysian, Jamaliah Morais has been an Oriental brush painting artist for nearly thirty years. She is currently a Resident Artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, the largest visual arts center in the country. She was juried into the Art Center in 1999. Jamaliah was also juried into the Potomac Water Colorists, and this affiliation has enabled her to explore new ways to blend East and West in her watercolors.



Jamaliah first studied this ancient Chinese and Japanese art form under the tutelage of Master Painter Professor Chen Bing Sun at the Chinese Artists Guild in Manila, Philippines where she lived for several years. Since her arrival in the United States in 1986, she has branched out dynamically in new directions dabbling in the more modern freestyle techniques, poured ink and color techniques, portraiture and Sumi-e techniques studying under various teachers and participating in numerous specialized workshops and classes. Her paintings are characterized by a keen sense of adventure, imagination and a clever play of water colors. She is able to capture the essence and spirit of her varied subjects by weaving a tapestry of exquisite lines, colors and shades. Her favorite subjects include panoramic mountain landscapes, waterfalls and rivers, majestic pines and bamboo, birds and flowers, tigers and horses.

She has held seven solo exhibitions, making her debut in Manila in 1985. In the Washington, D.C. area, she has held solo exhibitions at such venues as the Audobon Naturalist Society, the University Club, the Embassy of Malaysia, the Green Springs National Park and the US Too Studio. She has also participated in numerous group shows in the United States and Canada, including exhibitions at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Ronald Reagan National Airport. Her paintings have won her several national, regional and local exhibition awards and prizes.

Jamaliah is a past President of the Sumi-e Society of America (the national organization of Oriental brushwork artists) and a past President of the National Capital Area chapter of the Society. She has also served as a member of the Artists’ Advisory Board, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Co-Chair of the Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Vice President of the Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

Jamaliah has taught Oriental brush painting in the art enrichments programs in McLean and Alexandria schools, and at art festivals and workshops organized by the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Fairfax County Arts Council and the Smithsonian Institution. Jamaliah also teaches classes in Oriental brushwork.