liveanimalsinside

LIVE ANIMALS INSIDE! is how the photographer, Azril Ismail feels about and describes, his precious photographs. Similar to the signage one sees plastered on cargo/cages carrying live animals from one place to another, Azril sees his photographs as being very much ‘alive’ as they are so much a part of his life that they ‘co-exist’ within his life, and thus have to be handled/treated with care and love.

The works for this exhibition,reveal a side of Azril which reflects his morbid fascination with life, and is a photographic diary of Pudu Jail. The 50 photographs capture a side of Pudu jail that not many have seen. After spending two and a half months observing the (by then) vacated Pudu Jail, Azril noticed that the prisoners who had occupied the cells had left their mark in more ways than one. He realized that the more time he spent there,the more he could ‘feel’ the presence of the occupants of the cells, and connect to and understand them through their scratchings messages, writings and drawings on the walls of the prison cells. This series of photographs allows us an intimate glimpse into the minds of the prisoners and what they went through during their days spent in the prison .

Azril’s journey as a photographer has exposed him to all sorts of circumstances, from the spiritual and mystical, to the downright shocking aspects of life that we choose to ignore . Through his photographs he reveals to us his ‘research’ into the dark side of life, the helpless, the hopeless, the remorseful, the guilty, the shunned, the unseen. Azril Ismail’s photographs capture lives and places that once were, but will soon be forgotten, unless they are documented. What shines through in his poignant works is his ability to share with us the empathy which he felt towards the ‘creators’ of the artworks on the walls in Pudu Jail, their last ‘wills and testaments’ so to speak and to give them a ‘voice’ that would never have been heard otherwise.

A researcher at heart, Azril Ismail is a Malaysian photographer to watch for his inquisitive, layered works which probe, question, and document moments and lives, which we have all chosen to overlook or ignore. It is through photographers like Azril, who keep exploring ‘unseen’ areas of life, that allow us to carry on our lives knowing that whatever we are missing out on , or not seeing, is being ‘safely stored away’ in his photographs.

Azril Ismail, graduated in Photography and Media Studies from the Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio in 2001. On returning to Malaysia in 2002 he attained his Masters in Photography from Uitm.

He has held numerous group exhibitions in the United States and Malaysia.This will be his first solo exhibition.

LIVE ANIMALS INSIDE! features at Wei-ling Gallery 8 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, 50470, Malaysia from May 13th- June 2nd 2008. Pls call 03-22601106/07, 0123025302 or email weiling@weiling-gallery.com for more information.

Or visit www.weiling-gallery.com for a preview of the works.

Wei-Ling Gallery is Open Mon-Sat, Mon-Fri, 12-7pm, Sat 10-5pm. Closed Sundays.

The artist will be conducting a walking tour through his exhibition on Saturday17th May 2008. Seating is limited so please call 03-22601106 to reserve a place. Admission is free.