Estetika Timur – Rentas Sempadan (Eastern Aesthetics – Cross Border) by Awang Damit Ahmad
Official Opening on 7 November 2024, 12:30pm., by His Excellency Dato’ Indera Dr. Azfar bin Mohamad Mustafar, High Commissioner of Malaysia.
Awang’s Estetika Timur – Rentas Sempadan series emphasises Eastern aesthetics, but not merely in a superficial or ornamental sense. It reflects an engagement with the cultural and philosophical traditions of the East, particularly in the context of Malaysia’s diverse and pluralistic society. The artworks are rooted in a reflective self-referential experience, representing a journey that captures the essence of a farmer’s humble livelihood. Through the principles of simplicity, harmony, and balance, these works balance figuration and abstraction, exhibiting a dynamic range between the intimate and expressionistic, as well as the intellectual and intuitive. The artworks explore fundamental human values, alongside broader societal, cultural, and environmental concerns, informed by rigorous research, personal experiences, and memory. Collectively, they form an ongoing artistic exploration, continually seeking deeper meaning and value in life.
Estetika Timur – Rentas Sempadan series is characterised by Awang Damit’s use of bold, gestural brushstrokes and a rich, earthy colour palette. His compositions are often dense and textured, reflecting the tactile nature of rural landscapes of the fields. These surfaces are layered, suggesting the accumulation of history and memory, much like the way a land’s topography holds the imprints of time and human activity. The abstraction in his works does not lead to a loss of meaning; rather, it serves to distill his experiences into visual forms that speak to both personal and collective memory. Awang Damit’s use of colour is particularly significant. The deep reds, ochres, and browns in his works evoke the earth, while his use of black suggests the hidden, unseen forces at work in the world, whether spiritual, cultural, or historical. His compositions are often centred around dynamic forms that seem to emerge from or recede into the background, creating a sense of movement and fluidity. This visual dynamism reflects the complex interplay of forces in life: the individual and the collective, tradition and modernity, nature and culture.
About artist, Awang Damit Ahmad
Awang Damit Ahmad, born in Kuala Penyu, Sabah in 1956, is one of Malaysia’s foremost contemporary artists. His work is deeply rooted in his personal experiences, cultural background, and the broader Malaysian socio-political landscape. His journey as an artist began with a formal education in the arts at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in the late 1970s. His transition into the art world was marked by the intersection of traditional Malaysian culture with modernist concerns, a thematic focus that would later culminate in his renowned Essence of Culture (EOC) series and later to his Estetika Timur series.
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Official Opening on 7 November 2024, 12:30pm., by His Excellency Dato’ Indera Dr. Azfar bin Mohamad Mustafar, High Commissioner of Malaysia.
Awang’s Estetika Timur – Rentas Sempadan series emphasises Eastern aesthetics, but not merely in a superficial or ornamental sense. It reflects an engagement with the cultural and philosophical traditions of the East, particularly in the context of Malaysia’s diverse and pluralistic society. The artworks are rooted in a reflective self-referential experience, representing a journey that captures the essence of a farmer’s humble livelihood. Through the principles of simplicity, harmony, and balance, these works balance figuration and abstraction, exhibiting a dynamic range between the intimate and expressionistic, as well as the intellectual and intuitive. The artworks explore fundamental human values, alongside broader societal, cultural, and environmental concerns, informed by rigorous research, personal experiences, and memory. Collectively, they form an ongoing artistic exploration, continually seeking deeper meaning and value in life.
Estetika Timur – Rentas Sempadan series is characterised by Awang Damit’s use of bold, gestural brushstrokes and a rich, earthy colour palette. His compositions are often dense and textured, reflecting the tactile nature of rural landscapes of the fields. These surfaces are layered, suggesting the accumulation of history and memory, much like the way a land’s topography holds the imprints of time and human activity. The abstraction in his works does not lead to a loss of meaning; rather, it serves to distill his experiences into visual forms that speak to both personal and collective memory. Awang Damit’s use of colour is particularly significant. The deep reds, ochres, and browns in his works evoke the earth, while his use of black suggests the hidden, unseen forces at work in the world, whether spiritual, cultural, or historical. His compositions are often centred around dynamic forms that seem to emerge from or recede into the background, creating a sense of movement and fluidity. This visual dynamism reflects the complex interplay of forces in life: the individual and the collective, tradition and modernity, nature and culture.
About artist, Awang Damit Ahmad
Awang Damit Ahmad, born in Kuala Penyu, Sabah in 1956, is one of Malaysia’s foremost contemporary artists. His work is deeply rooted in his personal experiences, cultural background, and the broader Malaysian socio-political landscape. His journey as an artist began with a formal education in the arts at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in the late 1970s. His transition into the art world was marked by the intersection of traditional Malaysian culture with modernist concerns, a thematic focus that would later culminate in his renowned Essence of Culture (EOC) series and later to his Estetika Timur series.
