Lepaskan dan Lupakan, 2023
Let Go and Forget It
There’s a saying “Siapkan dua kubur kalau engkau mahu berdendam”. This proverb means to prepare two graves if you wish to hold a grudge. It is a cycle, like karma. Once you hold a grudge, someone else will hold one on you too.
This raises the question as to whether we truly accept our fates of if we are simply force to be forgiving. Nadiah’s work visualizes this sense of entrapment. For her, everyone has their own way of dealing with emotions; in saving relations and in retaining their dignity. While accompanying negative emotions might be toxic or ugly, it is all part of a long process of acceptance and of being human. Nadiah narrates a story of these intricate processes that might have been held. Nadiah uses objects as representations of the heart to symbolize the letting go of destructive feelings.
Simpan Dendam, 2022
Holding Grudges - يحمل الضغائن
There’s a saying “Siapkan dua kubur kalau engkau mahu berdendam” which means prepare two graves if you wish to hold a grudge. Why two you might ask, because it’s a cycle, something like karma. Once you have a grudge, someone else will have that on you too.
It’s really a question between are we really accepting our fate or are we being force to be forgiving. Hence, my work has visualized that sense of trap and being stuck. Everyone has their own way of dealing with emotions to save relationships and to have that sense of dignity. Intentionally or not, people do go through these emotions before and it does not mean you are a bad person with a black heart. It just means you’re human.
It's like a process. Cannot deny that these negative emotions are toxic and ugly. Achieving acceptance is a long journey. Therefore, my work narrates a story of the process under your skin, the fixing and surviving from holding any grudges.
Nature's Palette , 2022
Nadiah Nadzirah x Saira Khan
Our project showcases the different shades of spring from the empty branches waiting to bloom to the radiant flowers growing brighter with each passing day of the season. It shows how, in spring, there are vestiges of winter, yet also the promise of warm summer days ahead.
We applied a mixed skillset of photography taken in Turkey (Saira) and illustration done in Singapore (Nadiah) to co respond and emphasise on the different aspects and colours of each photograph. The photographs were taken at a weekly interval during the entire season of spring in 2022.
You Don't See What I See , 2022
Kau Tak Nampak Ape Ku Nampak - أنت لا ترى ما أراه
Dyslexia was the story I held onto for many years. My diagnosis with this learning disability has put me through many breakdowns and struggles, and touched on my insecurities. I pushed my language and speech an extra mile to compete on the same level as others, and it is exhausting to navigate a problem that others do not need to go through. People have told me, “It’s just an excuse. It’s not hard to read and write.” , to which I reply, “Well, you don’t see what I see”
