Profile: Anniketyni Madian

About Anniketyni Madian : Born and raised in Kuching,Malaysia, Anniketyni graduated from UiTM in 2009 with a degree in Fine Art, majoring in Sculpture. Quickly developing a signature style of wooden sculptures, the young artist draws on local textile traditions and calligraphy practices for inspiration. These are subsequently stylised with clean graphic lines for a contemporary twist, engaging audiences in pertinent local discourse. With this strong mix of aesthetic and content, Anniketyni is quickly achieving the distinction of being one of Malaysia’s foremost sculptors, both locally and internationally. Given the fact that sculpture is an artistic genre that has traditionally been dominated by men, Anniketyni’s position takes on a deeper significance. The production of sculpture, especially when hardy materials such as metal and wood are involved, has historically been viewed as a form of skill that only men would be able to perfect- given the physical labour involved. Presenting a portfolio filled with sizeable and immaculately made hand-crafted works in wood, Anniketyni shatters any such illusion, establishing herself at the forefront of the sculpture genre in Malaysia.

Anniketyni’s growing reputation is evidenced through a slew of critical awards, residencies and commissions- as well as the esteem her works hold amongst collectors as several collections, both private and institutional, house her sculptures. Prominent amongst these are Bank Negara Malaysia, Arcradius Sdn Bhd, The Aliya and Farouk Khan Collection, Rimbun Dahan and the private collections of Bing Ley Sim, Shalini Ganendra, Zain Azahari, Johan Ishak, Scarlette Lee and Artcube Gallery. In 2016, Anniketyni shortlisted in the Top 30 for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize (2016/2017), and went on to be awarded with the Young Guns Art Award and TN50 Youth Ambassador Award in 2017. Additionally, she has been invited to create several commissions and public sculptures; most notably a public sculpture for the Mall of Medini in Johor Bahru, a commission for the United Nations in Rome and a commission for the Corporate Art Award in Rome. While her works have regularly been included in several group exhibitions- not only here in Malaysia but also globally in locations including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Pittsburgh- AM marks her second solo exhibition, after 2011’s solo showing at House Of Matahati (HOM) to mark the end of her participation in their residency program.

Participating in residencies is often a manner in which an artist may refine or develop their practice. The luxuries of time and space that residency programmes afford, bolstered by funding and the presence of other artists or art industry professionals for critique, are advantageous for the technical and conceptual development young artists seek. Post-residency, significant improvements are often noticeable. For Anniketyni, Rimbun Dahan not only allowed her a length of time to focus on refining her carved wood techniques, but also the room to expand her conceptual explorations. As a result, text was first introduced into Anniketyni’s repertoire during her tenure at Rimbun Dahan, through explorations into Arabic calligraphy as seen in works such as Alhamdulillah (2015).

 

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