LOT 34
Mohd Raduan Man
B. Pahang, 1978
Before The War, 2010
Signed and dated “Raduan Man 2009” on lower right
Signed, titled and dated “Raduan Man 2009 Before the war” on reverse
Oil on linen
74 x 74 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 3,800 – RM 5,000
Mohd Raduan’s pieces have always been quite enigmatic and cryptic, and this piece is no different – a commentary of some sort. Done in his usual murky, shadowy shades, with bright popping colours, silhouettes of soldiers decorate the canvas, with graffiti-like words that say ‘Hear This’ marring the top. Streaks of red adorn the bottom, which could be a direct reference to the bloodshed wars have caused. Strong and purposeful, this piece is full of statements without too many words, as Mohd Raduan makes a statement about the human behaviour and modern urban society and war itself.
The message, seeing as how being puzzling is Mohd Raduan’s hallmark, is very indistinct at first but requires the viewer to gaze a little longer to decrypt it and decide what feeling was evoked from it. The execution, however, is exceptional and the meaning strong.
Mohd Raduan Man was born in 1978. His works, filled with dialogues to the audience, possess strong meanings and statements that he wishes to convey to audience, and a number of his works have been sold at auctions, such as ‘Rooster’ and ‘The Young Contempo Auction’.