KUALA LUMPUR: Renowned Malaysian contemporary painter, Awang Damit Ahmad drew inspiration from the Japanese military science fiction media franchise, Gundam for his latest works on display in Galeri Prima here.
His 10th solo exhibition titled "From Payarama to Garismega: 2013-2020" primarily features works that juxtaposes the schematic and geomatric shapes of these robot anime characters with natural settings.
Out of the 57 paintings in the exhibition, 46 of them come under the "Garismega" category inspired by the Japanese science fiction art.
Jointly organised by Galeri Prima and Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers, the exhibition, which began yesterday (Friday) will run until April 7.
Awang Damit, 65, said the Gundam artwork left a deep impact on him during a visit to Japan.
"I started sketching them when I was in Japan. But when I returned to Malaysia, I started to think about how to emulate the Gundam robots in a Malaysian context.
"From there, I began to use the scarecrow as the object and I then translated it into my art by developing the character, composition and finally creating a series of paintings," he said, referring to the traditional scarecrow in padi fields which is featured together with the Gundam protector robots some of the works.
The imagery, with entangled lines is a sight to behold for contemporary art lovers.
Another work in the exhibition is Awang Damit's favourite piece titled "Tribute...Tentang Ubi...Ingatan Buat Arwah Bapaku" created in 2016.
The abstract painting is a tribute to his late father. It is, however, not for sale as it holds great sentimental value to the artist.
"I created it based on the stories from my grandfather and my father about World War 2 when the country was invaded.
"The painting signified how hard life was back then which drew inspiration when people had nothing to eat but tapioca during the war."
He said the Payarama part of the collection consists of works from 2012 to 2016.
"Payarama is based on the change of seasons often linked to the monsoon. It is about my experience working as a fisherman and farmer.
"It focuses on the struggles and livelihood of fisherman and farmers as well," he said.
Awang Damit, 65, is a respected figure and considered to be one of the most consistent Malaysian painters in terms of the point of view, objectives, philosophy, style and subject in his works.
Having been active in the local art scene since the late 1970s, he has showcased his work in solo exhibitions in Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. His works have also been featured in major art collections in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
His main focus has been on the themes of nature, culture and humanity in relation to Islamic values. His works also reveal his own reflections on his life journey, from his childhood as the son of a farmer and fisherman to his adult achievements as an artist.
He is also the recipient of the 1983 Universiti Teknologi Mara Best Student Award for fine art.
On his advice to young and emerging artists, Awang Damit said they should avoid creating merely for the sake of getting famous. Instead, these young artists should expand their skills.
"Allow yourself to gain momentum in your art. Work your way up slowly. This is the way to move on to become better. Do not try to rush things just to get rich and famous quickly."
The artworks in this solo exhibition are valued from RM28,000 to RM 224,000. They can be viewed at Galeri Prima at the Anjung Liku lobby in Balai Berita here until April 7.
The gallery is open from 10am to 5pm by appointment only.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Awang Damit will present a talk with a Q&A session from 11am to 12.30pm on April 3 at Galeri Prima. The talk is open to the public.
Galeri Prima can be reached at 03-27248300 or at galeriprima@mediaprima.com.my.