NAH! Bali
G13 Bali Residency Program Showcase 2013
6 Dec - 22 December 2013
NAH! Bali
G13 Bali Residency Program Showcase 2013
Collaborating for the very first time are Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj (b. 1987, Johor) and Ahmad Hisyamuddin Abdullah (b.1989, Terengganu). The UiTM alumnis were handpicked to participate in the second installment of G13’s residency program. Those familiar with Najib would be no stranger to his primitive signature approach themed around wildlife and nature whose works constantly adorned with a tinge of looming destruction ‘suspended in time’. Hisyamuddin is the contrast of Najib, with his painterly approach, stripping down to monochromatic hues accentuated with highlights, combination of a quirky Zhang Xiao Gang palette with planes and charcoal tones. NAH! Bali is an experimental end result of a month long visit to the tourism haven of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali.
ME AND WE – NAJIB AHMAD HISYAMUDDIN
Born in rural Malay kampungs, both Najib and Hisyamuddin were adopted by their local art guides and were brought around Ubud, Kintamani and Nusa Penida. Of course, one cannot escape from Bali’s captivating jungles, scenic beaches and mystical temples which were openly admitted by both the artists as truly inspiring environment.
Adopted into the local art community, Najib and Hisyamuddin were brought on gallery visits and exhibitions every night and involved themselves in the art activities and ongoing exhibitions. They soon realized that there was a very strong bond among the community regardless of religion and interests, a reflection of the true spirit of gotong-royong. They analysed the similarities between our cultural activities and the behavioral differences over varying activities in life. Nah! spells a friendly gesture among peers in both cultural context.
NAH! – THE COLLABORATION
Working as a tag team, NAH takes turns to approach the background and subject of each painting, resulting in an end-product of three series which neither Najib nor Hisyamuddin envisioned at the very beginning. The creative process was an extended bonding measure between the two to communicate, tolerate and trust each other’s experiences and reaction towards the residency. Learning to balance and allow their individual artistic characters remain in each series, one subtly supports the other.
Perhaps it was their very first collaborative involvement with the local artists during the experimental Not for Sale installation done in Nusa Penida that spurred the notion behind this collaboration. NAH! Is an expression of acknowledgement, completion and agreement as one steps back and allows the other to take over the canvas. In summary of their visit to Bali, NAH! delivers a very personal take on the Bali Najib and Hisyamuddin have experienced.
By
Jessica Ho
