Artist Statement
"For as long as I can remember I have suffered from a deep feeling of anxiety which I have tried to express in my art. Without anxiety and illness I should have been like a ship without a rudder." - Edvard Munch (1863-1944).
Baktiar aka Bach received his Master of Arts (Fine Arts) degree in 2012 from LaSalle College of the Arts. As he started to develop his own style during his diploma programme in 1997, Bach’s works have always inclined more towards the autobiographical as he translates and expresses his experiences with his battle with a personal illness which has a strong influence in his life. Cathartic drawings and poetry play a strong role in his works as platforms.
In his latest works, as an attempt to distance away and evolve from the inherent therapeutic advantages of his usual art making process, Bach explores an unfamiliar new medium, fantastical animations; and transforms his poetry into songs as their soundtrack accompaniment. With this, he hopes to connect with the audience through the allegorical content, sadness in melodies and their relationship with the collective unconscious.
A multi-disciplinary artist, he is also in Stellarium, a psychedelic/noise pop/shoegaze band that has released a full-length album and performed in various places in Singapore like the Esplanade and the neighboring countries, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Despite his academic background in Fine Arts, he also has interest and experience in graphic design and was responsible for the design themes, merchandise design and other collateral designs behind Republic Polytechnic’s and The Republic Cultural Centre’s events like Open House, IGNITE! Music Festival, Momentum Music Festival and Reflections Community Arts Festival. He is also the founder of Chromatose Arts.
Fine Art group exhibitions he was involved in include:
- 'No Dead Space, No Wasted Motion' (2000) @ Earl Lu Gallery (Goodman Road)
- 'Stir' (2002) @ Earl Lu Gallery (Goodman Road)
- 'Breadcrumbs: A Master of Arts, Fine Arts Works-in-Progress Exhibition' (2011) @ Earl Lu Gallery (ICAS McNally Street)
- 'Come Away With Me: MAFA Final Exhibition' (2012) @ ICA Gallery 1 (McNally Street)
- 'The LASALLE Show 2012' @ LaSalle College of the Arts (McNally Street)
"For as long as I can remember I have suffered from a deep feeling of anxiety which I have tried to express in my art. Without anxiety and illness I should have been like a ship without a rudder." - Edvard Munch (1863-1944).
Baktiar aka Bach received his Master of Arts (Fine Arts) degree in 2012 from LaSalle College of the Arts. As he started to develop his own style during his diploma programme in 1997, Bach’s works have always inclined more towards the autobiographical as he translates and expresses his experiences with his battle with a personal illness which has a strong influence in his life. Cathartic drawings and poetry play a strong role in his works as platforms.
In his latest works, as an attempt to distance away and evolve from the inherent therapeutic advantages of his usual art making process, Bach explores an unfamiliar new medium, fantastical animations; and transforms his poetry into songs as their soundtrack accompaniment. With this, he hopes to connect with the audience through the allegorical content, sadness in melodies and their relationship with the collective unconscious.
A multi-disciplinary artist, he is also in Stellarium, a psychedelic/noise pop/shoegaze band that has released a full-length album and performed in various places in Singapore like the Esplanade and the neighboring countries, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Despite his academic background in Fine Arts, he also has interest and experience in graphic design and was responsible for the design themes, merchandise design and other collateral designs behind Republic Polytechnic’s and The Republic Cultural Centre’s events like Open House, IGNITE! Music Festival, Momentum Music Festival and Reflections Community Arts Festival. He is also the founder of Chromatose Arts.
Fine Art group exhibitions he was involved in include:
- 'No Dead Space, No Wasted Motion' (2000) @ Earl Lu Gallery (Goodman Road)
- 'Stir' (2002) @ Earl Lu Gallery (Goodman Road)
- 'Breadcrumbs: A Master of Arts, Fine Arts Works-in-Progress Exhibition' (2011) @ Earl Lu Gallery (ICAS McNally Street)
- 'Come Away With Me: MAFA Final Exhibition' (2012) @ ICA Gallery 1 (McNally Street)
- 'The LASALLE Show 2012' @ LaSalle College of the Arts (McNally Street)
