FADILAH KARIM

Poignant and deeply personal, Folds and Creases is an ode to motherhood: beauty in the midst of chaos, joy in the face of fear and the sheer weight of it all. Mothers hope to hold their children close - to protect, comfort, support or lead them by example - but like the shaping of paper, mothers must eventually learn to let go and just allow their children to be. Two years in the making, this cherished series of works is a testament to Fadilah’s exceptional talent, grit and passion: it is a special invitation into her evolving life’s story, as she remains true to herself, her values and her remarkable gift.

While the exhibit is filled with portraits of Aira and Fadilah, the series of works Folds and Creases - the namesake of the exhibition - is composed of still lifes inspired by the Japanese art of origami. From an unassuming square sheet of paper, the practice of origami radically transforms flatness into depth, insignificance into meaning and a blank page into a story. As diptychs, they - two paintings joined together as one - open like a book. In Folds and Creases 1, paper is gently pleated, expressing lines in equal measure along its length. It shines in a bright red, the accordion ridges like sloping hills but the destination still unknown. Folds and Creases 2, however, has already been given its destiny - the radiant swallowtail butterfly: a symbol of endurance, change, and the uncertainty and miracle of life. To Fadilah, perhaps that is what motherhood is about.

“As a mother, I sometimes fear I’m teaching the wrong things . . . I’m afraid I’m lacking and the bad things are coming from me. She’s my first child, so I fear these things because I love her. It’s like, am I doing it right?,” Fadilah confides. “But I still have to do it. Saya kena keep folding untuk memberi terbaik kepada dia and make the creases yang elok (I still need to keep folding to give her the best and make the beautiful creases).”