All About Ameer Basalamah

Ameer Basalamah is a self-taught contemporary artist, born on January 27, 1978. Ameer is of Yemeni Arabic descent, although he was born and raised in Singapore. His art is known to promote conversations on social behaviour and conformity. Through his works, Ameer explores the intricacies of relationships, religion, and other sensitive societal topics that many dare not broach.

While he enjoys using painting as a medium to communicate his worldviews, Ameer does not believe in restricting his audiences to a singular takeaway from his art. Instead, he encourages open discourse and intellectual reflection on the meaning behind his artistic expressions.
Ameer’s journey in the arts began more than a decade ago, in 2009. Faced with heartbreak and suffering from depression, Ameer poured his thoughts into writing. Although Ameer had enjoyed drawing since his childhood, it was not until 2018 that he began painting seriously. This transition from writing to painting occurred as Ameer discovered the fluidity that painting afforded. Painting allowed him to creatively express complex ideas that were difficult to articulate fully through words. Art also offered a freedom of interpretation that he found refreshing. Ameer utilises a broad spectrum of techniques to articulate his musings in each series.

In 2018, the year he started painting, Ameer had his first solo exhibition. This was a public art exhibition at the Sengkang West Public Library in Singapore. His next exhibition, titled “Ayat Ayat Cinta” (Sentences of Love), took place at The Substation on Armenian Street. As the lead artist of the exhibition, Ameer featured one of his earliest works, “The Observer," which was inspired by heartbreak from romantic loss.
Seeking to understand the meaning behind love and why relationships unfolded the way they did, Ameer pored through numerous psychology books, interviewed others around him informally, and made careful observations on the way people interacted with one another. His insights fueled the conversational piece “The Observer," which posits that all romantic love is transactional and conditional due to our human condition.
 
As an artist committed to social change, Ameer uses his platform to raise awareness about critical societal challenges and advocate for positive transformation.
Ameer's evocative artwork stands as a testament to the power of art to address social behavior. With each stroke of his brush, he unearths the complexities of human connections, inviting viewers to recognise their roles within the tapestry of society and inspiring them to weave threads of empathy, understanding, and inclusivity.

In a world defined by rapid change and fleeting interactions, the artist reminded us all that, amidst the chaos, we are all part of a greater whole. His art became a testament to the beauty of the human experience, celebrating the dance of social behaviour that connects us all in the intricate web of life. And though he remained a silent observer, his paintings spoke volumes, urging us to be more present, more understanding, and more alive in the ever-evolving symphony of society.