AOTM: The Battlefield by Fauzan Omar

Fauzan Omar is a Kelantanese-born modern and contemporary artist based in Penang, Malaysia. Born in 1951, Fauzan obtained his Master in Fine Arts from the Maryland College Institute of Arts, Baltimore, Maryland, United States in 1984. Fauzan has represented Malaysia in several regional and international exhibitions since 1980 and is well known for his iconic “Layer Series”. His finest moments include winning the First Prize/Major Award in Abstract Painting in Permodalan Nasional Berhad Art Competition in 1985, the First Prize/Major Award in Malaysian Scenes Art Competition and the Major Award of Philip Morris Art Competition by the National Art Gallery in 1989 and 1995 respectively, as well as receiving the Australian Cultural Award (International Cultural Relations Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) in 1995. 

Fauzan’s works reflect his style—delving into the effects of what each artwork creates on colour, shape, material, and surface as influenced by Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948). Towards the 1990s, his works became more radical and moved towards an abrasive style that challenged conventions. 

The Battlefield (2018) is an atmospheric diptych that celebrates Fauzan’s masterful and consistent use of the layering process in his mixed media practice. The two canvases represent the two main political parties, signifying the turbulent nature of the political scene. Unlike ordinary objects used in mixed media works, the materials used for The Battlefield are scraps of a nation’s political battlefield that hold within it the narrative of the country—strips of banners, flags, and littered posters from the Malaysian General Election campaign in May 2018. Using strips of canvases to craft colour fields and texture that challenges conventional painting styles, the artwork is perhaps a strong conveyer of an aura that reverberates the sense of nationalism, the never-ending fighting spirit of Malaysians. 

The presence of the two opposites conjure up feelings of pride and patriotism among those who view it—a battle between two powerful strongholds; its ending, uncharted.