Akar 01 (2025)
Papier-mâché & plant
Exhibited at Little Spaces, Creative Space Gallery
Curated by Dr Muhammad Arafat Mohamad and Osman Mohamad

Overview:

Whether consciously or unconsciously, human beings create emotional associations with specific spaces. Akar 01 reflects the nostalgia of returning to a location with which one holds a deep connection.

The symbolism of a bouquet is a non-verbal language understood across many cultures. Bouquets communicate celebration, love, gratitude, and sympathy. Yet Akar 01 does not immediately present itself as a floral arrangement. Instead, it draws attention to the plant’s lifeline: the roots.

Nostalgia upon returning to a space is often quietly overwhelming. People revisit places in the hope of revisiting a moment. Akar 01 prompts conversations around why such large spaces can feel so overwhelmingly small, or how such an unremarkable space can feel so full. The bouquet in Akar 01 rests upon a tall grey papier-mâché plinth that resembles cold concrete, though it is fragile enough to be destroyed by water. The use of a living plant, rather than a fading one, signifies memories that remain present and active within us, set against a physical space that has long forgotten our presence.

Every element in the installation of the artwork was upcycled from items from the artist’s own home. The papier-mâché was upcycled from the artist’s own sketchbooks and diaries.