ARTIST CURRICULUM VITAE

Mohammad Azri Bin Kasmanni
Email: mideon32@hotmail.com

Education:

2003-2005 National Institute of Singapore
Diploma in Arts Education Singapore

1999-2002 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Diploma in Interior Design Singapore

Experience:

2003 Nan Hua Secondary School
Teaching practice Singapore

2002 Jurong West Secondary School
Contract Art Teacher Singapore

2002 Blueprint Design
In-house designer Singapore

1997-1998 De Art Glass Factory
Glass Artist Singapore

1996-1997 Clementi Police Station
Cartographer while serving National Service Singapore


Projects:

2004 Mural Painting
South View Primary School Singapore

2003 Backdrop for 2003 Singapore Youth Festival at the Park
Singapore Botanical Gardens Singapore

PEMUJAAN (linocut printing on cartridge paper) 2004

Even in the modern generation, some people still believe in black magic as a short cut to success. Sacrifices were even made in order to make offerings to the spirits in order to achieve a goal. The kemenyan is a necessity when it comes to cults involving Bomohs. When will these people ever realize?

AGONY OF MOTHER NATURE (woodcut printing on cartridge paper) 2004

The inventions of Man trying to make the world a better place do pay a price. The sacrifice of Mother Nature at the hands of men to satisfy their hunger for convenience in their hunt for fame and fortune results in pollution. Shown here is Mother Nature rooted to the pollutants, trying very hard to survive. How much more can Mother Nature withstand lies in the hands of Man who should instead use his inventions to save Her...…

PONTIANAK DAN TOYOL (silkscreen printing on cartridge paper) 2004

It is said that the Pontianak is the spirit of a woman who died of childbirth. Sometimes she can look very beautiful, but most of the time she has razor teeth and stalks the night in search for men or pregnant women (it is said she could not bear the thought of other women being able to enjoy motherhood)to suck blood from (sometimes eat the flesh of babies ripped out from their mothers).

Toyol is a spirit which is kept in a jar with a foetus and some special liquid to preserve it. The toyol is kept by people to do their bidding, but the price for keeping it is you have to feed it your own blood everyday. Some toyols have special 'needs' as well. If the spirit is that of a child, you'd usually have to provide it with a couple of toys to play with. If money goes missing and white ants (or termites) are found where the money should have been, the toyol has just done its bidding for their master.

HIT AND RUN (printmaking on cartridge paper) 2004

hit-and-run

Pronunciation: (hit'n-run')
-adj., v., -ran, -run•ning.

-adj.
1. guilty of fleeing the scene of an accident or injury one has caused, esp. a vehicular accident, thereby attempting to evade being identified and held responsible: a hit-and-run driver.
2. involving or resulting from such action or conduct: hit-and-run fatalities.

LIDAH BERCABANG (silkscreen printing on cartridge paper) 2004

Lidah Bercabang means branched tongue. A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling. There will come a day when this person will receive his retribution...…

GUILT I (monoprint on cartridge paper) 2004

Excessive drinking led him astray leaving behind his duties a filial son, a husband to a faithful wife and a father to a newborn baby blinded by greed in his search for fortune...…

GUILT II (monoprint on cartridge paper) 2004

How he wished that his time and question marks can be reversed back. Longing for more time to repent..…

GUILT III (monoprint on cartridge paper) 2004

Rich as he was, there was a dark secret within his success. Sacrifice, done in the wrong way such as believing too strongly in superstition, was the reason for his downfall in his later life. Spirits arose from the grave preying on him as a sign of revenge for his wrong doings...

GUILT IV (monoprint on cartridge paper) 2004

Burden by guilt, man hanged himself as the memories of his dark past haunted him. His face badly battered into pulp to the extent of being unrecognizable as the people he wronged gave him a taste of his own medicine. Taking his own life was the only way to bear for his sins...…

DI SINI KAMU KEMBALI (ceramics) 2004

This Is Where We Return…

The grave is where we will rest while awaiting for judgment day till we will be awakened again after the world ends and fate awaits us… will we be punished severely or will we be rewarded for our good deeds? Will our souls rest in peace?

FIVE STAGES OF LIFE (acrylic painting on plywood) 2003

As Muslims, we perform our five prayers each day (subuh, zuhur, asar, maghrib, isyak).

Subuh, which is performed in the early morning is referred here as the beginning of our life. Life is still pure and we were more enthusiastic in learning, looking up to the elders as a form of guidance (the picture of the little child on the extreme left).

Zuhur is performed at noon which reflects our childhood days in which we were still caring to our younger brothers even though we still would try to outdo them (the boy looking at the little child).

Asar is performed in the late noon which reflects on our days as a teen. It is shown here as the teen with the "songkok"(headgear) worn in an incorrect manner (fringe must be tucked under the songkok) as a form of rebelliousness.

Maghrib is performed in the evening. It is illustrated here as the middle aged man in proper Muslim attire as we should be more focused in our religious practices.

Isyak is performed at night before we go to sleep and this is illustrated by the old wise man leading the young in prayers.

All these figures formed a hand which was holding a pile of earth (illustrated as a Muslim cemetery).

WATER OF LIFE (acrylic painting on plywood) 2003

As babies, we are approximately 75 to 80% water and as we grow older this percentage decreases until the percentage is reduced to approximately 60 to 65% for men and 50 to 60% for women. The human brain is about 85% water and our bones are between 10 to 15% water. The chemical structure of water H2O and both the hydrogen and oxygen have great importance as life giving properties and a preserving force to our systems. As babies, our world is so pure, so calm as illustrated in the painting. As we grow older, our world becomes complex and the more we struggle, the faster we"ll drown.

5K (acrylic painting on plywood) 2003

This painting is based on the 5 K's of a Sikh:

1. Kesh or unshorn hair, regarded as a symbol of saintliness. Guru Nanak started the practice of keeping the hair unshorn. The keeping of hair in its natural state is regarded as living in harmony with the will of God, and is a symbol of the Khalsa brotherhood and the Sikh faith. Hair is an integral part of the human body created by God and Sikhism call for its preservation. The shaving or cutting of hair is one of the four taboos or Kurehats.

2. Kanga or the comb is necessary to keep the hair clean and tidy. A Sikh must comb his hair twice a day and tie his turban neatly. The Gurus wore turbans and commanded the Sikhs to wear turbans for the protection of the hair, and promotion of social identity and cohesion. It has thus become an essential part of the Sikh dress.

3. Kara or the steel bracelet symbolises restrain from evil deeds. It is worn on the right wrist and reminds the Sikh of the vows taken by him, that is, he is a servant of the Guru and should not do anything which may bring shame or disgrace. When he looks at the Kara, he is made to think twice before doing anything evil with his hands.
4. Kach or the soldiers shorts (type of shorts) must be worn at all times. It reminds the Sikh of the need for self-restrain over passions and desires. Apart from its moral significance, it ensures briskness during action and freedom of movement at all times. It is a smart dress as compared to the loose dhoti which most Indian wore at that time.

5. Kirpan or the sword is the emblem of courage and self-defence. It symbolises dignity and self-reliance, the capacity and readiness to always defend the weak and the oppressed. It helps sustain one's martial spirit and the determination to sacrifice oneself in order to defend truth, oppression and Sikh moral values.

The Five K's, along with the turban, constitute the Khalsa uniform, which distinguishes a Sikh from any other person in the world, and is essential for preserving the life of the community and fostering the Khalsa brotherhood.

The Five K's are not supposed to foster exclusiveness or superiority. They are meant to keep the Sikhs united in the pursuit of the aims and ideals of the Gurus. They enable them to keep their vows made at the time of baptism. The Sikhs have been known to face torture and death rather than cut their hair or remove any of the sacred symbols.

The Khalsa cannot be anonymous. His religion is known to all. He stands out among people, and any unseemly behaviour or action on his part would be noted as unbecoming of a follower of the Gurus. People would easily blame him if he deviated from the disciplinary code of Guru Gobind Singh.