‘Back in February, i got into an altercation with myself’ by SITIS, new artwork series review.
SITIS (b. 1992) is an artist, writer & community organizer. Her work explores the intricate interplay between existentialism and alternative subcultural societies of Kuala Lumpur through photography, videos & painting. She graduated with a Diploma in Textile & Fashion Design from MIA in 2012 and has been active in the Malaysian art scene since. Previously working with Godown Arts Centre in Masjid Jamek, she is currently attached to Riwayat bookstore, an independent bookstore in downtown KL.
Various titles by SITIS. 2023, acrylic on paper, 59.4cm x 42cm each
‘Back in February, i got into an altercation with myself’ is a new body of work by SITIS. The paintings from the series were made back in February during a feat of mania, both creative & psychological over the span of 2 months. The 19 pieces feature monochromatic abstract expressionist strokes in the background and hand-painted witticisms & platitudes in the shade of pink often dubbed millennial pink. The phrases are sometimes heartfelt and other times sardonic.
Pretty Insane (2023) by SITIS, acrylic on paper, 59.4cm x 42cm
Echoing the works of confessional literature and art created by the likes of Jenny Holzer, Sylvia Plath & Barbara Kruger, the work is evocative of female rage & the sad girl internet subculture prevalent in 2010s Tumblr and lives on in the melancholic corners of Tiktok. The ‘sad girl’ phenomenon is an internet trend that is best described with the following: grainy black & white photos taken using film cameras, Lana Del Rey, cigarettes and red roses. Her works wouldn’t be out of place in the curated blogs you would find on Tumblr then.
All Of This Will Be Forgotten (2023) by SITIS, acrylic on paper, 59.4cm x 42cm
‘Back in February, i got into an altercation with myself’ paints an image of a tortured, though hopeful soul grappling with the inner turmoil of her mind. Plath once wrote that she [has] ‘the choice of being constantly active and happy or introspectively passive and sad. Or [she] can go mad by ricocheting in between.’ This begs the question, was this a choice made by herself or one she couldn’t help but make?
God Loves You (2023)by SITIS, acrylic on paper, 59.4cm x 42cm
SITIS quips ‘God Loves You’ in one, and then she asks, ‘Where Is My Mind?’. Through self-introspection & psychological self-flagellation she is not only speaking to herself, to God but also to us. Sitting with her pain, with her tears, with her laughter and hope; she does what every artist does best: find meaning in the pain. In a world that demands us to just, ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ she replies, ‘SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE LAUGH LOVE’. We wonder if and when she’ll learn how to Live, Laugh, Love. Until then we can’t help but look forward to what else she has up her sleeve, besides her heart of course.
Show Me How To Live Laugh Love (2023) by SITIS, acrylic on paper, 59.4cm x 42cm