LOT 56
NAJIB AHMAD BAMADHAJ
B. Johor, 1987
Worthless III, 2010
Inscribed “NAJIB AHMAD 10” on lower right
Artist, title, date, medium and dimensions inscribed on the reverse
Mixed media on canvas
183 x 153.5 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
SOLD
RM 10,144.80
It is often seen that the artist separates the surface and subject matter, opting instead to pull the viewer’s attention with the surface and materials used. Employing mixed media on canvas, this piece of artwork is eye grabbing and potent. The piece is interesting and infested with dark humour, as Najib pays homage to one of England’s well-known graffiti artist – Banksy. Banksy was a graffiti artist, political activist and a film director whose identity remains unknown until today. It is shown that an animal, dressed in disguise in attempt to break into a safe. A metal padlock is seen on this canvas, along with multiple door hinges – making this piece a surreal mix of reality and fantasy.
Painting, according to Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj, describes the concept of a wall, translated with paint on canvas. The wall is the main image, where as the subject on the surface is the secondary image. The talented young artist born in 1987, completed his Diploma in Fine Art from UiTM Melaka back in 2008 and then pursued a B.A. (Hons) in Fine Art (Sculpture) from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, Selangor, in 2010. “My interest in the arts began in primary school. I really liked decorating my school books with sketches and I always got excited participating in poster design competitions in school,” he said.
From the time he began his career until today, Najib has participated in numerous group exhibitions including, Endangered, a two-man show with Hirzaq Harris at TAKSU KL (2011), Visual Art Award (2011), LiFest at MAPKL (2011), HIMPUN at the National Art Gallery KL (2010), and many more. This amazing young talent was also a Finalist of MRCB Art Awards at the National Art Gallery (2008), 1st prize winner in the Tanjong Heritage Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur (2010), and a finalist for the Visual Arts Awards in Kuala Lumpur (2011). Najib unveiled his first solo exhibition, Great Migration in October 2012 at TAKSU Kuala Lumpur. This collection saw the highly rated young artist exploring various themes through his endangered animal-centric mixed media artwork on a range of surfaces, including mud, cement, recycled wood panels and zinc.