Artists to Watch: Singapore artist Ezzam Rahman on using his dead skin as a medium for telling stories on legacy and life

Ezzam’s musings on legacy draw inspiration from the Malay proverb “Harimau mati meninggalkan belang. Manusia mati meninggalkan nama” (meaning tigers die and leave their stripes, but humans die leaving their names). His contemplations, especially poignant following his father’s death 13 years ago, lead him to ponder: “If a person departs, how do they want to be remembered?” Consequently, his works often focus on remembrance, an example being his 2015 performance-based installation Allow Me to Introduce Myself. For this work, he ingested and exhaled large amounts of talcum powder, forming handprints and footprints to visually capture the transient nature of life.

His father’s passing also sparked his interest in sharing his personal experiences. “Unearthing his belongings revealed unknown documents. It’s why I take lived-experience narratives very seriously,” he says.

Among his works, two hold special significance for him. The first is You Are What I Don’t Want to Be, performed in 2015 as part of the Singapour Mon Amour festival, a Singapore art showcase held in Paris at the Église Saint-Merry. “Performing in a place of worship and crafting an image there was magnificent,” says the adjunct lecturer at tertiary institutions such as the Lasalle College of the Arts, Nafa and the National Institute of Education, who describes the experience as particularly impactful given his identity as a Southeast Asian, queer, Malay and Muslim artist.

The other is Here’s Who I Am, I Am What You See, showcased as part of the Singapore Art Museum’s President’s Young Talents exhibition in 2015. “It catapulted my artistic career,” says Ezzam, one of the two joint winners of the President’s Young Talents award that year. He notes, though, that the most meaningful aspect of this was personal, sharing that it was upon seeing the scale of his work at this exhibition that his mother expressed pride. “She has never understood my career, as she sees how difficult it is to sustain myself as an artist. But when she saw the entire room dedicated to my art, she was blown away,” he recalls.

His mother, whom Ezzam frequently mentions throughout our conversation, highlighting her significant influence on his work, is the subject of The Little Differences You Made for Me, his recent work for Singapore HeritageFest 2023. As her primary caregiver, he organises her medical appointments, selecting the best transportation methods without a car or helper. The artwork explores the accessibility of Singapore’s MRT system for the disabled, depicting a journey on foot alongside his doppelgänger in a wheelchair.

This month, Ezzam will present two projects during Singapore Art Week 2024. He is also now working on 2D artworks using leftover dead skin from his sculptures, which he converts into Jawi (an adapted Arabic alphabet for writing the Malay language) letters affixed to anti-inflammatory plasters. Relearning the script, which he studied in madrasah, he aims to blend it into his art and explore the concept of “Malayness” through his skin. Acknowledging the niche nature of his work, he admits that “it’s hard to find collectors for my skin sculptures and these pieces will make it even more so”, but emphasises cultural expression over commercial success. “It’s important for me to uphold what I believe in.”

His work, he further shares, has always been issue-based. “I’m trying to be that voice for people who can’t speak up,” he says, citing You’re Not Alone in All This, You’re Not Alone I Promise, his work for Oh! Open House in 2021 that is essentially “a focus group of seven men who are single homeowners”, as an example. Drawing from his personal challenges, Ezzam aims to bring such often-hidden stories to the forefront through his art. His current themes include singlehood and ageing, inspired by the societal emphasis on the traditional family unit.

The former artistic director for The Substation regards the local art scene with enthusiasm. “Singapore is constantly evolving with the times,” he says, noting the innovative use of technology by emerging artists. He also appreciates the growing international recognition of Singaporean art, with major institutions abroad acquiring local artworks, as well as the shift in art collecting, with younger, educated collectors increasingly investing in up-and-coming artists.

Ezzam aspires for Singapore to produce globally recognised artists. “I can feel the shift happening and I’m hopeful,” he concludes.

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