Artist’s Statement
I was born in Mariabad Quetta, province of Balochistan, Southwestern Pakistan. Growing up surrounded by art centers, the smell of oil paint would be invaluable later in life when I decided that this would be my fulltime passion. Beginning with making decorative frames for painting and creating canvas from raw materials in the studio, I smoothly developed a glazing style that became abstract after joining Sketch Club.
‘Green Hell’ by Murtaza Ali
Now, after practicing abstract art, I have learnt how to portray emotions and feelings on a piece of canvas by using the elements of art. A lot of the creative artworks I make are based on some aspect of my extensive time spent in Pakistan, where I was born.
‘Game’
Since I joined Sketch Club, I have exhibited artworks in many group shows nationally and internationally, including the USA, Australia and Indonesia. My paintings lie just at the intersection of impressionistic landscape and abstraction. I am interested in creating space and distance that feels like the familiar world around us, but is more universal, ambiguous and abstracted.
‘Unitiled’ by Murtaza Ali
My latest painting called ‘Untitled’ is inspired by the current situation of refugees, evoking their ‘long waiting time in limbo’ in Indonesia. As an artist, I cannot just sit and do nothing, I need to explore and document the situation around me through my art.
‘Fantasy’ by Murtaza Ali
My work explores the relationship between the obscure and extreme beliefs that exist in our world. Ever since I was very young, capturing the environment and portraying the complexity of its elements — from the quiet to the chaotic — on a canvas has been my passion.
Murtaza Ali is a Hazara visual artist from Afghanistan, currently living in Jakarta, Indonesia. His paintings specialize in the abstract and semi-abstract. He learned art at Sketch Club Quetta, Pakistan. His artworks convey his self-experience and journey. He believes serves a great role in humankind’s lives. He believes artists are the most sensible part of a community and the most sincere people in a society. They are sensitive and show reality to the people, like a mirror on the wall. Art is not just about beauty, but is more than worthy to express emotions and situations which are difficult to explain through words. You can find more of Murtaza’s artwork on Instagram.