LOT 37
NIZAR KAMAL ARIFFIN
B. Pahang, 1964
Mask Series – “Shut and Blink”, 1999
Papier mache on plywood
56 x 56 cm
Signed and dated “Nizar ‘99” on lower center
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 2,500 – 4,000
A compelling early work from Nizar Kamal Ariffin’s celebrated Mask Series, Shut And Blink reflects the artist’s fascination with identity, perceptionand the human condition. The tactile papier-mâché surface gives the composition a distinctive sculptural quality, while the mask motif invitescontemplation of what is concealed and revealed beneath the human exterior. Nizar’s Mask series, which began in 1998, marked an importantchapter in his ongoing search for truth, self-discovery and the meaning of life.
Coming from Kuala Lipis, Pahang, Nizar Kamal Ariffin joined SENIKA, Pahang’s art society, in 1984 and later studied Fine Arts and Graphics atUniversiti Sains Malaysia. After moving to Kuala Lumpur in 1993, he became a full-time artist and joined the Conlay Artist Colony at the Malaysia Craft Complex in 1998. His highly individual practice is recognised for meticulous mark making and deeply introspective themes.