CORE contemporary art

Similarly, the image of hard-working men is encased within Morning Glory. The yellow acrylic glass is insinuated as the time of dawn, the opposite to the Trust the Path with Hope and Love which is dusk. In an oblique sense, Syahmi indicates the idea of the people who work from dusk till dawn without rest as something admirable as he intends to apply the same efforts as an artist. Amidst the pandemic, the recovery time for everyone to get back on the swing of things is different. For those whose works require to be on the field, it became a moot point when a lot of places are restricted. In contrast for artists who are almost always secluded inside their studios, to work is possible, but to exhibit said works is another matter.

Syahmi likes playing with the contradictive nature of things — the pros and cons to how things are working for certain professions especially when it aggregates unexpected hardships. Even for an artist like Syahmi to rely on the art ecosystem to push forward is not an easy task. Revenues are hard to achieve even for mid-career artists, let alone an emerging one. Syahmi’s understanding of the pandemic life has been rerouted by steering the direction according to the set timeline — the day for working in the studio, the evening for the family.

In The Man Who Is Willing to Do, Syahmi resorted to the waiting of nightfalls that are supposed to be the time for rest and recovery, yet the images that are presented in the hue of blackness is of a toy soldier hidden inside tall grasses encompassing the images of a plush doll, a wooden horse toy, a bed and a dinner table, suggestive of the need to still be alert to ‘protect’ these seemingly fragile ‘moments’ i.e. sleeping, eating or playing. Perhaps life as a father and a husband to a new family is a dawning prospect for Syahmi to always be on guard. By touching the surface of protection, Syahmi also learns that safety and security do not always guarantee a comfortable life.

We Love You no.1 and no.2 is perhaps one of the most personal pieces to interpret. Visibly, a plush bear doll is placed amongst images of butterflies and a window, signifying a form of expression of freedom. Since the pandemic, an outdoor experience is hard to attain. Having a young daughter that should have been able to play outside is reduced exponentially which has mounted to regret and resentment feeling in Syahmi as a parent. Partly because he could not do anything about the times we live in, and partly because the idea of going outside alone has become a morbid and depressive thought, especially when it concerns the health of his child. The rabbit and the doll that resides inside but yet ‘outside’ with the addition of plants and trees is a play of composition that describes Syahmi’s restlessness, despite the harmless subjects.

Temporary Foreigner no.1 and no.2 with the brilliant green that has shrouded the images inside rouses multiple contemplations — the horse, the tent, the gathering of men that have felt out of place and irrespective of the images Syahmi has chosen to depict his personal life. The acrylic glass which is printed with repressive and uncultivated grass images entails a show of privacy, perhaps referenced to a life that is secluded because of the pandemic or perhaps conveying the impression of immigrant workers that seek untimely opportunity during the pandemic, recalling back to how in history foreigners used to migrate to certain places with a tent to camped down and a horse as means of transportation. Syahmi’s inclination to frame his narratives are strongly dependent on the imageries, but with Temporary Foreigner, it has felt riddled with unknown emotions. Syahmi is not only pushing the depth in terms of the technicality but also reacts to it by way of contextualising it as a response to current times.

In the end, Syahmi’s way of committing to a new way of life informs him of the urgency in artmaking. Pressing on the key ideas of chasing the time, regulating the time, or even following the time, Syahmi is not only breaching issues in regards to the existing art ecosystem but also ruminates throughout the process by relating it to himself as an artist. Sacrificing the time to make ends meet is a notion that no one disagrees with, however, in any way an artist is supposed to work therein lies the need for a firm structure to support and helm the way always.