KHAIRULLAH RAHIM

IMPART Awards Winner

Though formally trained in the field of painting, Khairullah also creates sculptures and installations. His works are motivated by engaging and sometimes challenging stories of the marginalisation of minorities and are often contextual analogies for human societies. Both factual events and personal experiences are fundamental in his works as he mixes fact and fiction to create a discourse.

Khairullah has participated in numerous exhibitions including If you think I winked, I did. (FOST Gallery, 2015), CRUISE (Shophouse 5, Chan Hampe Galleries, 2015), No Approval (Grey Projects, 2013), and PROJECT 6581 (JCC, Embassy of Japan, 2013). In 2016, he had his second solo exhibition next Sunday at Shophouse 5, Chan Hampe Galleries.

Khairullah’s work on the other hand is a stark contrast to that of Justin’s. The use of vibrant, rich hues of greens and accents of warm tones exhibits the joy and passion of living life to its fullest. With the illustration of a banana tree ingrained in both compositions, Khairullah attributes his art piece to Memori Daun Pisang (Memories of a banana leaf) – a 90s Malay pop song that tells the story of a pair of lovers seeking shelter from the rain by hiding beneath a banana leaf. Reinterpreting artworks derived from Smells like Sweet Cologne (2016) and Oh Dear I (2016), Khairullah expresses parks as a site of nostalgia where one yearns for love, affection and acceptance.