ANIMA IMPERIUM: MARCHING TOWARDS ABSOLUTE BESTIALITY (2016)
Solo Exhibition by Shafiq Nordin
Published by HOM Art Trans
Animal images, whether painted, carved or chiselled on cave walls, lime stones, clay or ivory were some of the earliest produced by human hands besides abstract motifs, symbols and patterns since time immemorial. The mysterious dearth of human images coupled with the ubiquity of animal forms in all early pre historic art possibly stem from a lack of conscious separation between humans and the natural world. The tendency to attribute human traits onto non human entities such as inanimate objects, natural phenomenon and especially animals or vice versa are called Anthropomorphism and Zoomorphism. This innate process in humans is believed to be a psychological approach to help us make sense of the world around us. In fictional forms, many of us are familiar with the talking animals in the pages of these classic fairy tales for children from the past such as the Fables of Aesop, Alice in Wonderland, The Ugly Duckling, The Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood and Jungle Book just to name a few. In politics, especially as critique or propaganda, animal characters were used to parody certain sections of society particularly those in positions of power. The earliest example are Chojugiga (Animal Scrolls) which were produced around the 12th century in Japan. It satirized the ruling classes as frogs, hares, foxes and monkeys engaged in human activities while exposing their hypocrisy and duplicity. From the middle ages to the time of the renaissance in Europe, there were no shortage of works featuring animals and strange beasts concocted to vilify or demonize competing parties for power and influence, especially during the Reformation and Counter Reformation periods. One of the most significant modern literature to feature a full cast of animals in a stinging critique of totalitarianism was ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell (1903-1950) which gave us, among many quotable lines, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
‘Man is the cruelest animal’
- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
As humans, we perceive the animal kingdom to be in a state of constant struggle for survival. It is eat or be eaten. From dawn to dusk, every waking moment is spent hunting or foraging for food while looking for shelter from the brutal elements and safety from bodily harm. Though we see parallels between the animal world and the daily skirmishes in our own concrete jungles, animals however are driven only by their instincts to survive while we humans on the other hand are driven by endless strivings for significance to craving for recognition from fellow homo sapiens. This we do by outdoing or defeating others. In our incessant scratching, clawing and climbing up an imaginary social hierarchy, we are in actuality, spiralling downwards to ever greater depths of depravity and foolishness. When early humans learnt to cultivate plants and domesticate animals for their exclusive use and abuse, did it also opened the floodgates for humans to subjugate their fellow humans for the same purposes through coercion, sanction and violence? Is our lust after power and control a means to ameliorate us from our deep sense of doubt, worthlessness and shame? Does dominating others placate our existential anxieties and give our lives some form of meaning? Who stands to gain by fanning the fury and perpetuating the spite that others must somehow be responsible for our shortcomings, ignobilities and sufferings? Indeed who are the players in this game of thrones, competing for the crown and spoils? Through what lengths are they prepared to go and with what means will they employ to achieve their objectives while securing their interests?
“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”
Lord Acton (1834-1902)
The foibles and fallacies, mendacities and power plays with their melodramatics and farcical tragicomedies of all competing for power and influence provides much amusement and material for Shafiq Nordin.
One of the five winners of the Malaysia Emerging Artist Award (MEAA) 2013/14 competition organized by Galeri Chandan and HOM Art Trans since 2009, Shafiq was born in Negeri Sembilan in 1989 and graduated with a BA in Fine Arts, winning the Vice Chancellor’s Award from UiTM in 2012. Shafiq is currently completing his post graduate studies at the same institution. An active participant in the local art scene since 2009, Shafiq has to date exhibited in numerous group shows organized by some of the leading art galleries in the country namely HOM Art Trans, Taksu Galerie, Pace Gallery, Segaris Art Center, G13 Gallery, MAPS@Publika and the National Visual Arts Gallery. He has also exhibited at the annual Malaysia International Art Expo in MATRADE with a few group shows in Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney, Istanbul and Germany. Together with the other four winners, namely Sabihis Md Pandi, Cheong Tuck Wai, Hilal Mazlan and Ong Xing Ru, Shafiq was selected by a panel of experts from the local art industry for his technical proficiency as well as his refreshing approach to subject matter. Each of the winners were given cash prizes, vouchers for art materials, a modest travel grant and a winners showcase. A solo at either HOM Art Trans or Chandan Galeri is required to fulfil their contractual obligation. IMPERIUM is Shafiq Nordin’s very first solo exhibition. It features 10 works, mostly acrylics on canvases of various dimensions on the themes and issues that continues to fascinate him.
Though the works of Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and Yuko Shumizu are cited as inspirations together with political woodblock prints in general, what sets Shafiq’s work apart from many however, is his especial focus on animals and other assortment of fantastical but identifiable creatures engaged in seemingly incomprehensible activities or mired in mind boggling situations. Animals such as apes, chameleons, wolves and recurring others are metaphors, chosen after careful observation of people’s behaviours, reactions and actions in specific situations as a form of parody though when applied to a wider, local and geopolitical context, makes much sense. Objects, images, patterns and motifs, many culled from popular culture including from contemporary art adds weight to the already grave and absurd situations presented on canvas. By adding effects that mimic the rough textures of woodblock prints which gives a gritty and dark feel to his works, Shafiq succinctly captures in his canvases the desperation and wickedness that permeates the world in which we live today.
The satire may not be apparent initially as one is immediately taken by the impressive details, dynamic compositions and skilful finishing, however, should we look beyond the surface, we just might recognize some of the actions by these strange, wild (and even cute) creatures actually reflecting our own. No matter how many layers of ‘sheep’s skin’, which in today’s parlance mean, titles, positions, credentials and even the branded goods, we don to throw away the scent of our beastly inclinations, never mind how we have mastered the mannerism of civility in hiding our fangs, claws and even tongues, Shafiq gleefully strips away the façade of our charade for all to see with the hopes that, perhaps by recognizing the ‘beastliness’ in us, we would be shocked and sickened into realizing the urgent need to reclaim our humanity before it is too late as the human race marches toward absolute bestiality.
‘The greatness of humanity is not being human, but being humane’
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)