Transplants (Euphorbia, Monstera, Sansevieria)

Abdul-Rahman Abdullah (b.1977) is a West Australian based multi-disciplinary artist whose sculptural practice explores the intersection of politics, cultural identity and the natural world. Since graduating from Curtin University in 2012 he has exhibited at leading galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. While his own experiences as a Muslim Australian of mixed ethnicity provide a starting point, Abdul-Rahman foregrounds shared understandings of individual identity and new mythologies. Living and working in rural Western Australia, he provides a unique perspective across intersecting and often disparate communities. Transplants (Euphorbia, Monstera, Sansevieria), is a reflection of Abdul-Rahman’s mother. Abdul-Rahman describes how her expertise in horticulture and ability to allow the natural world to thrive in her care is matched only by the love that surrounds her as the family matriarch. Since arriving in Australia from Malaysia fifty years ago, she has made each house a home for her children and grandchildren. Abdul-Rahman owes it to his mum to keep his plants alive, to let his garden flourish and to love his children like she loves hers.