JEHABDULLOH JEHSORHOH
Artwork: People Of Three Provinces And Other Four Districts 2022
Jehabdulloh created seven art pieces made of different materials such as galvanised steel, wood and acrylic. Each piece displays a silhouette of a man standing with guns, military boots or a tank located next to his head. This art piece references the emergency decree and other restrictions that have been put in place in the three provinces and four districts.
“People in the Deep South are subjected to the emergency decree and other laws that restrict their freedom. While military boots and weapons represent unjust authority, galvanised steel represent grassroots and innocent people. Messages on the artworks were inspired by the Bahasa Melayu Patani language. People are scared of this language because they associate the language with violence. I am not happy with this kind of attitude because it makes people suspicious of and mistrust Muslims,” said Jehabdulloh.
In 2014, Jehabdulloh established an art gallery, Patani Artspace, which he funded himself. The objective of Patani Artspace was to help local people communicate with others through art.
“Due to the insurgency in the Deep South, people assume that Muslims in the Deep South are cruel. Some even curse us; some ask if we carry any bombs. Hence, I wanted to have an art space where people of all ages, religions, races and careers can access. Because of violence, people become paranoid and mistrust one another. Patani Artspace has been a space for freedom of expression, exchange of ideas and other activities,” he said.
Patani Artspace received great feedback from visitors. Jehabdulloh said people who were initially afraid of the Deep South wanted to revisit the art space after they had conversations with local people from the South at the art space.
Although some collectors may be not interested in political art, Jehabdulloh said he is undeterred as his duty as an artist is to express himself.
“I will never change the direction of my creativity in order to sell my artworks. In my paintings, weapons are not meant for killing people, but they are there to stop people from killing one another and the tank is there to prevent a coup,” he said.