Selat Perindu “Straits of Longing”: Engku Iman

Rissim Contemporary is pleased to present Engku Iman’s (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1990) second solo-exhibition, Selat Perindu “Straits of Longing”. This show is an exploration of the subconscious relationship between semiotics and memories - how certain objects in her life have acquired meaning, as she explores the interaction between meaning and the signs themselves. The objects and images that Engku Iman finds herself meditating on are the symbols of her identity

and heritage. Subtle moments made up of images that appear in the straits of her consciousness, forming a network of memories that gives us an insight into who she is. They contrast, contradict, and unseemingly balance between each other to capture fragments of her life that touch on family, religion, gender-politics, and identity. She finds beauty in humour - specifically, in juxtapositions and in the mundane everyday objects that she engages with, leaving the viewer with riddles to unravel.

 

Selat Perindu, consists of 14 works on paper using watercolour and ink, along with an installation titled, Bahasa Rahmat “Language of Mercy” (2023). This will be Engku Iman’s first solo exhibition in Malaysia, which comes after her first solo, Wild and Free (2017) at A2Z Galley in Hong Kong. Since then, Engku Iman has been included in the ILHAM Art Show (2022), and several group shows, including Reflection (2022) with Rissim Contemporary and A Playful Distance (2018) in Yokohama, Japan.