Abdul Abdullah
Abdul Abdullah is an emerging Muslim - Australian contemporary artist, redily known for his diadactic photographical series. His series often expose the existing Post Colonial landscape of Australia whilst exploring the exclusive 'Australian' identity that continues within. Abdullah's key focus within his artistic practice ironically juxtapose the Nationalist Australian attitudes that have reignited since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in the USA. Abdullah's photograph 'Them and us' 2001 (first photo pictured above), situates Abdullah (right) and his brother poised with with an indefinate gaze of confidence on their face. This generates feelings of fear and paranoia towards the unkown, this is also highlighted by the use of split lighting. The Southern Cross is seen as an iconic symbol of Australian Nationalists culture; the tatoo seen across Abdullah's body is an appropriation of this symbol, replacing the sixth star with a Crescent Moon. This highlights the sheer irony Abdul Abdullah attempts to capture through his work. This overt irony created in the photograph ‘Them
and Us’ successfully critiques the accepted mainstream definitions of Contemporary Australian identity. Abdullah’s artistic practice incorporates his own Australian identity to undermine the mainstream definitions of an Australian Identity. His self-portrait ‘As an ultranationalist’, exposes the increasing ‘patriotic’ racism occurring in Australia as a response to the 'unkown threat' that became feared after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
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