THE MENAGERIE RACE is Now at Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay

Through a series of murals that unfolds across the Esplanade Community Wall, The Menagerie Race reflects on man's fallibility and vanity, driven by an unceasing of the meaning of life. Set against a backdrop of various landforms and foliage, the work comprises traversing anthropomorphic forms informed by Izdi's long-standing interest in mythology and folklore. These influences include the seminal poem The Conference of the Birds written by Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar in the 12th century, which allegorises the search for spiritual truth, as well as the folly of greed from Aesop's fable, "The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs." An exercise in visual storytelling, The Menagerie Race draws upon humour, narrative and artistic devices to depict the catastrophic trajectory of its characters.

Having already established himself as a skilled illustrator, Muhammad Izdi (b. 1986, Singapore) has developed and expanded his practice in recent years to include mixed media installation, sculpture and animation. The imagery and symbolism in his work often draw from folklore, ghost stories and pop culture to reflect on the human condition. His work has been included in presentations such as Open SEA, Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon, France (2015), community art collaborations at Taman Jurong, Singapore (2018) as well as Atypical Singapore (2018-19), a travelling exhibition with iterations in Moscow, Yangon, New Delhi, Bangkok and Singapore.

Catch The Menagerie Race through 2 January 2022.

Learn more at https://www.esplanade.com/festivals-and-series/visual-arts/2021.