The environment you grow up in can be a huge influence on how you live your life and how you look at the world. For Malaysian artist Azlan MAM08 this environment is Kuala Lumpur, the hectic capital city of Malaysia. With over 7.5 million inhabitants the city is a self-contained culture, with a big division between rich and poor. This divide has always fascinated Azlan, to a point that he felt he had to document the social order of the city.
Azlan wanders through the streets of Kuala Lumpur with his analog camera, documenting society as he sees it. Whilst developing the images Azlan starts with his first round of manipulating; over-exposing or altering the image to divert it from reality and connect it to the story he wants to tell. The developed image is then manipulated even further, creating an alternate reality that shows a haunting view on everyday life. Azlan says the collage and photo montaging techniques are like the rebirth of an image, it’s about redefining an unwanted scene. The finished pieces show a bleak look into the Malaysian society, giving the audience a glimpse into the dark side of a modern metropolis.
You can find more of Azlan’s work on his website and Flickr profile. If you’d like to learn more about his inspiration make sure to check out this interview.
