Nadiah Bamadhaj 
Born 1968, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
 

Multidisciplinary artist Nadiah Bamadhaj was born and raised in Malaysia, educated in Aotearoa New Zealand and currently resides in Indonesia. At the heart of her practice is a desire to unravel the intersections of her identity and the sociopolitical environments she has experienced throughout her life.

Created for the 11th Asia Pacific Triennia, Kin 2024 was developed through this multilayered process and weaves together aspects of Bamadhaj’s identity, memory and family history. The work consists of five charcoal collage portraits of her family, in which each subject is depicted clothed in batik that includes a motif relating to their life experience, presenting a layered perspective of individual and family identity. Kin is a vulnerable, nuanced and captivating family portrait that gracefully unravels the intertwinements of the people, places and things that have shaped Bamadhaj.