Lot 060
Awang Damit Ahmad
b. Sabah, 1956
E.O.C. “Sisa-sisa Jerami”, 1994
signed and dated (lower right)
mixed media on canvas
91 x 76cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Selangor
ESTIMATE RM 50,000 – 90,000
PRICE REALISED RM 50,000.00 |
This work stems from his early major series, the most sought after series, Essence Of Culture (EOC), representing his world view about Man and Nature. His abstraction is a symbolic language of the lives of farmers and fishermen, uniting all shapes and fragments of patterns arranged in a well-balanced composition. The symbolic shapes are derived from his thoughts, reflections and observations.
Awang Damit Ahmad is credited to have started one of the most compelling new abstracts related to land, purpose and people. A relative late starter in art at the age of 27, he first studied at the Mara Institute of Technology, where he was Best Student, before getting his Masters at the Catholic University in Washington DC (1989-1990). He catapulted into top-artist status when he not only won the 1st Prize but also the Consolation Prize in the hugely coveted Salon Malaysia III at the National Art Gallery. It was for his Nyanyian Petani Gunung (now in the Petronas collection). He also won 2nd Prize in the Malaysian Bank Association art competition in 1988. His international exhibitions include the Contemporary Paintings of Malaysia at the Asia-Pacific Museum in Pasadena, Los Angeles, in 1988. He also excelled as lecturer at Universiti ITM until May 2011, when he retired to go fulltime into Art. Prices of his artworks often soar high in auction houses locally and abroad. His recent solo presentations include Garismega New Journey in Art Stage Singapore 2017, Special Tribute: Awang Damit Ahmad in Art Expo Malaysia 2017. |