Circles of Creativity

> Artist Amirul Alwi is spiralling his way to success

of medium that was suitable to make an artwork. So I chose video and photography and I got to do some work like re-composing, retouch, remake, destroy, detailing and the last process was finishing.

In light of the fact that you don’t consider yourself a math wizard, what challenges did you encounter during the creation of The Heart of Mathematics installation works? I had to count every single nail in my artwork many times. In the beading process, it is okay to count on multiplication table for number 2 because it is easy. But when the number rises, like the multiplication table for number 34, I had to count too many times. It was like 3 to 4 hours of counting and beading at the same time just only to finish one big circle. After all, the finished result was superb because every multiplication table shows a different kind of pattern.

What do you do when you experience artist’s block? When it happens to me, I know I have to clear my mind, body and soul. So, I will do some exercise like going to the gym, swimming, playing badminton and hiking. When your body works, your mind will work too. And also keep praying to God so that I will gain more ideas.

What’s the worst thing and the best thing about being an artist? The worst thing is that it is hard to get support from people when beginners are trying to become an artist. Many people do not know and look down at what you are doing. The best thing is that I don’t even mind what they say because my mind is made up anyway. I just stay true to myself and I like to share [my art] with people because I always believe that art has a capacity to help us unite, change, think, feel, reflect, share and live.

If you could pick four artists, dead or alive, to work with on a project, who would they be? And why did you choose them? Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Hasnul Jamal Saidon, Haffendi Anuar, and Zulkifli Yusoff. I like their styles on artworks, the idea, composition, ideology, strength and their artworks really impress me. They are truly artists.

Cutting the plywood used for the base presented a challenge. The young artist had to practise using the jigsaw and handsaw many, many times before he got accustomed to it.

‘For me, art is all about feelings, passion and satisfaction. If you do something with your heart, then it is art. So I did it with my heart and I try to feel or get in touch with the elements of the universe for my purposes.’