When are you all going to say enough! and stop it?

Nirmala Dutt was at her very core, an activist fighting for change, and an artist. Nirm (as she preferred to be known) was my mentor and my friend, and the first person who forced me to understand what it means to be an active citizen. By the time I met her, she was imprisoned to her bed, and living a solitary life. Despite her circumstances – her presence was larger than life. She roared, she challenged, she never once backed down from her principles. She made me realise time and again that I could not just exist. That we must change what we can. And that where we can’t change things on our own – we force change by advocacy. She advocated with her artwork, which she created passionately and abundantly for as long as she was physically able, and always she pushed, and challenged things that most of us quietly accepted.

I’ve not got the words which can do justice to Nirm. She was and continues to be one of Malaysia’s most important artists. Her works – masterpieces, every one of which shouts of her advocacy and her passion to make change - deserve to be brought to the attention of all Malaysians - especially young Malaysians who feel powerless and don’t know that change is possible, and that each one of us is able to work towards making a change.

Ilham Gallery and a team of dedicated curators have lovingly and with tremendous attention to detail, put together a definitive show of her artworks. “Nirmala Dutt: Statements” is now on view at Level 5 of the gallery until 24 December 2023. In celebration of Malaysia Day this year, I hope you go by and visit Nirm’s show. I’ve seen her works before of course, but was awestruck when I walked into the show and saw the breadth of her activism, the passion in her works. It humbled me, and made me so grateful that I'd had the luck to have been friends with this legend.

When (I’m saying “when” and not “if” intentionally) you walk into the show, you will see the above self-portrait (which I have strangely taken a crooked photo of), with the statement, “When are you all going to say enough! and stop it?”.

I hope it inspires you to work for change. The second part is the important bit you see. Nirm (and I) don’t want you to say “enough” and then find some means to escape.


PS: I’m happy to have conversations with anyone who would like to make changes or who would like to stop things that they’ve had enough of. #whenareyougoingtosayenoughandstopit #nirmaladutt