Biography
Israfil Ridhwan
Singaporean artist Israfil Ridhwan (b. 1999) is a visual storyteller. He transposes the lived and dreamed experiences of himself into a colourful and intimate arrangement of warm-hued canvases. The oil paintings of Israfil feature poster-like compositions, an alluring medley of relayed narratives and inspirations. Vivid colours, soft-blended brush strokes, and stoic looking figures welcome audiences to walk through a series of self-reflection and fantasy.
 
Portraiture, movement, and drama breeze through Israfil’s collection of works as he crafts a harmonious marriage of encounters with various cultural influences. Inspiration from  artists like Frida Kahlo and various renaissance masters is apparent throughout his works. Israfil's works reflect a range of nuanced emotions, including self-criticism, obsession, and intimate portrayals of love, grief and loss.
 
Israfil Ridhwan graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (2020) with a Diploma in Fine Arts and has since participated in group exhibitions including, Art SG (2023) and (2024), Summer Group Show (2023), Little Red Dot – Singapore and London Edition (2022), Fresh Take (2021). Israfil held his first solo exhibition, The Divine Comedy in 2021 and his second solo show Spaces In-Between in 2023 at Cuturi Gallery.
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Israfil Ridhwan

Artist statement 

One quote I’ve always stuck with is, “life imitates art”. Being someone who’s a little too in-touch with his emotions can be very draining. I’ve been blessed with the life I have- to live around people who express their thoughts and emotions to me. I see violence, lust, love, joy and so many more. Being inspired by this, I’ve made it my genre of art. When I paint something, it’s a parallel reflection of an emotion, valid or not. I’d like to think that I’m a mediator of some sort. My art style has been described as poster-like or figurative. I think it’s nice knowing that it is the way it is, as if life is a movie and my work is the summary.