Old Age #2

sketchfab

Works inspired by Dr Iskandar’s family occupy a special place in his practice. This figurative pair interweaves autobiographical elements with Dr Iskandar’s inclination towards the Japanese aesthetics of wabi sabi. Old Age is a whimsical ‘portrait’ of Dr Iskandar and his wife Saleha Amir as lifetime companions. Married in 1968, their lives enjoy many convergences - both were Colombo Plan Scholars trained in craft work as well as educators all their working lives. Divergences in their temperaments and habits would generate spirited interactions between them and enrich their compatibility. Close scrutiny will reveal that the figurines are not mirror images of each other but marked by individual quirks and eccentricities. Their sinuous, flexible bodies have merged seamlessly with their Thonet rocking chairs (a chair typified by curvaceous armrests and rockers). The work captures the affectionate ease as well as the entrenched habits and postures of a couple in the autumnal season of their lives.