Fazrin Abd Rahman

b. 1989, Malaysia

Fazrin completed his Diploma in Fine Arts from UiTM Sri Iskandar in Perak followed by B.A. in Fine Art (Sculpture) in UiTM Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. In April 2019, Fazrin’s been awarded the prestigious Malaysia Emerging Artist Award (MEA). MEA Award is a biennial competition that honours the most promising young artists in Malaysia. Its main goal is to recognise the country’s top emerging talents and to give them the opportunity to break into the local and international art scenes.

Fazrin’s artwork does bear hint to his time majoring in sculpture. Aluminium dominates as the chief material, and the immediate impact felt by his works is its strong geometric qualities and the flat surfaces that deceive the eye; from afar, the works appear to be paintings, but closer inspection reveals the use of materials and markings that hint at the language of sculpture.

Fazrin, who cites the traditional art of rattan weaving, specifically the use of woven rattan sheets in the interiors of traditional Malay Kampung (village) houses, chosen aesthetic professes an affinity for the traditional forms found in local designs as a driving influence in his body of work. He once worked as a craftsman specialising in traditional woven goods and this personal reference has been present throughout all his works. The artist’s works also feature tile-like arrangements that resemble the square blocks of woven surfaces.