040

EXHIBITED
Work, 19 Jalan Berangan, Kuala Lumpur, 2010.
Work II, ION Art Gallery, Singapore, 2011.

LITERATURE
Working, Rogue Art, Kuala Lumpur, 2010,
illustrated on page 141.

Like the story-teller Boris Karloff, Hamir Soib is a master of the macabre. Representing the artist at his best, The Eruption of Desire portrays a volcanic eruption of thick brown smoke that conceals what appears to be a peaceful country scene in the background, but on closer inspection, looks more like anamorphic forms lodged in a slippery cavernous slope. Often dealing with the subject of death and apocalyptic themes, Hamir reveals the afflictions of contemporary humanity. Here, he depicts pent up emotion as smoke or forms unfurling explosively into the atmosphere, perhaps as an allusion to the destructive effects of human desire, an emotion that can be seen as a fundamental motivation of all human action and often thought to be connected with obsession and craving.

Hamir is a later emergent artist from the Matahati artists’ co-operative and was involved with starting up the art space called Gudang. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Art from UiTM, majoring in printmaking. Hamir has participated in numerous exhibitions individually as well as a part of the Matahati collective. He was co-best Art Director with Zuraini Anuar in the 14th Malaysia Film Festival, for Perempuan Melayu Terakhir. He won the Young Artists Incentive Award organised by Galeri Shah Alam in 2005 and was a finalist of the Sovereign Art Award, Hong Kong, 2007. He was also a non-resident artist at Malihom art residency, Penang in 2007. His works are in the collections of the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, and Bank Negara Malaysia as well as prominent private collectors.