Monuments 

2017
Acrylic, pen, ink
45 x 45 cm








The purpose of a monument is to celebrate and preserve part of our history and cultural experience. Monuments are also created to commemorate the dead and gone.

Since 2013 I have been collecting and making images of rocks and pieces of coral. The aesthetics of these porous yet solid objects appeal to me. Connotations of home, stability, and grounding come to mind when I think of rocks. Yet, rocks and corals are fragile and at the mercy of time, natural elements and human intervention.

I became fascinated with these rocks at Varunulaa Raalhugandu (the local surf point and a popular hangout spot) after returning back to Male’ after a long period living abroad. Like many other people in Male’, Raalhugandu was a special place for me. It was a place of quiet contemplation and relaxation, even on the most hectic and crowded days. I remember Raalhugandu as it was before its most recent transformation. No doubt it has been through many changes since the beginning of time, and so it will continue to change in the future as well.

I want to preserve my memory of Raalhugandu as I experienced it in my lifetime. These ‘Monument’ paintings were created to rejoice those memories of Raalhugandu as well as mourn the loss of a very significant place to my life.

This series of four works are displyed in gold coloured frames to highlight its special place in my memories.

Monuments exhibited at Blak Dot Gallery, Melbourne
photo: Hani Amir, 2021,