Nik M. Shazmie

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Born 1991 in Kuala Krai, Kelantan, Malaysia

The middle of the three talented Nik Brothers, Shazmie’s current work seeks to create a “new movement”, combining the intricacies of realistic detailing and techniques, and the Cubism art style of Picasso. This young artist has attained a certain level of success with this approach, winning the Gold Prize in the 2015 UOB Painting of The Year competition.

Among the areas examined by Shazmie is the distorted view of beauty many people today have. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it is usually no deeper than what the eye can see. Shazmie lays bare the obsession of “perfection” that seems to be the pursuit endgame for many today, by individuals wanting parts of themselves looking like the manufactured beauty they see in the media, embodied by personalities they admire.

By combining “the best features” a person might want, the resulting portraitures are, quite simply, grotesque. The young artist sees himself as a plastic surgeon operating on paintings, instead of people, deconstructing portraits and reassembling them in ways that are less than expected. But better the grotesque on canvas, we reckon, rather than the real world results of plastic surgeries gone wrong we hear about every now and again.

Among the specific topics that Shazmie has tackled recently include identity crisis, as depicted in the Rebecca series of works. The pursuit of perfection in beauty leads some to change not only the physical aspects of their natural self through surgical augmentation, but also every possible aspect of their identity. Everything, down to their names, often adopting names that would not normally be found in their original cultures.

As an artist, I put myself in the position of a Plastic Surgeon. I always imagine the portraits of people around me as being editable, like replacing their noses or lips with something that looks more appealing. I collect the best features in different faces then transfer these onto the surface of my works, constructing new characters manifesting the idea of perfection.

Education

Bachelor (Hons) of Fine Art, MARA University of Technology (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia

Awards (selected)

2015

Gold Award (Established Category), Malaysia UOB Painting of the Year

2014

Grand Prize, National Petron Art Competition, ‘Promise’
Grand Prize, Nando’s PERI-fy Your Art Competition, Alive
Consolation Prize, “Black & White: Penang Open Show”, Penang State Gallery

2013

Grand Prize, Nando’s PERI-fy Your Art Competition, Diversity

Solo Exhibitions

2015

Home Sweet Home, Lot 123, Nando’s Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Group Exhibitions

2016

Art Kaohsiung 2016, Pier 2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (with G13 Gallery)
Contemporary Art In Interfusion And Intergrowth, The Gallery, Shanghai, China
Art Expo Malaysia Plus 2016, MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with G13 Gallery)
Processus, Galeri Chandan, Publika Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Transit A2, HOM Art Trans, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Youngsters, HOM Art Trans, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
#WeAreGen-Y, G13 Gallery, Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

2015

UOB 2015 Winners Showcase, Henry Butcher Curate, SENI Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Art Kaohsiung 2015, Pier 2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (with G13 Gallery)
Art Expo Malaysia Plus 2015, MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with G13 Gallery)
ConFIGURAtion: The Celebration of Human, G13 Gallery, Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Art Trio: The Nik Brothers, G13 Gallery, Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
MERU Art Exhibition, Segaris Art Center, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2014

Petron National Art Exhibition, National Visual Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Penang Open Show: “Hitam Putih”, Penang State Gallery, George Town, Malaysia

2013

50 Shades Of Malaysia(Exhibition & Book Project), Publika Shopping Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (by Artemis Art)
CARBON, Artemis Art, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Nando’s PERI-fy Your Art – Diversity, Publika Shopping Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Citra Terengganu, Terengganu State Museum, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
1MCAT Tourism – “Futurism” Open Art Exhibition, MATIC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In The Media

2015

Every Face Tells A Story – Uppre, November 18 2015
Nik Shazmie: Putting the real in surreal – Campus Plus, October 2 2015
Karya seni Afrika Selatan – Kosmo!, August 10 2015
At home with his art – The Star, August 7 2015
In Warhol’s footsteps – The Sun Daily, August 5 2015
Nik Mohd Shazmie’s First Solo Art Exhibition – Gabra, July 29 2015
3 beradik sealiran – Harian Metro, April 24 2015
Brotherhood of Artistry – The Malay Mail, April 20 2015 (PDF via amadeus.uitm.edu.my)