Badra Aji, Mutiara Hatiku (Pearls of My Heart), 2019, Pencil on Stonehenge Paper, 65 x 52 cm. Courtesy: the artist & THIS IS NO FANTASY

This is No Fantasy is excited to present Badra Aji’s first solo exhibition with the gallery.

‘Foreign Objects’ is a new series of visual poetry by Aji. Using drawing, video, and magical realism, Aji draws from his personal experiences of migrating to Australia and finding poetic resonance in things that are displaced. For Aji, his works are the tangible artifacts from these experiences; drawings of daily objects, personal portraits, and museum objects are used to investigate our perceived notion of normalcy. Cryptic and highly personal, Foreign Objects puts the viewers on the outside, and presents a commentary on the white beauty standard.

“I make work directly from my personal experiences. In a way, my practice is an investigation of my personal life and art-making. Having moved to Australia in my teenage years, I find poetic resonance in things that are displaced. When I first arrived I was drawn to the everyday objects that felt foreign to me. As I spend more time in Australia, I feel as if certain things here remain unfamiliar to me, while some things from my own culture become more and more distant. For me, my drawings and videos are the manifestations of this feeling.” – Aji