Interviews
Abdul Abdullah is a seventh generation Australian who has become increasingly political in his art practice to keep pace with the politicisation of his faith.
In 'Abdul Abdullah: The Bad Guy' expresses his personal experience through art.
DIRECTED BY: Mat de Koning & Brooke Tia Silcox
PRODUCED BY: Brooke Tia Silcox
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Mat de Koning
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SYNOPSIS
Abdul Abdullah is a multidisciplinary artist who has stated that if there is a ‘bad guy’ in the current popular imagination it would be a Muslim. Growing up as a Muslim in a post September 11 world Abdul Abdullah has felt like an outsider as his Muslim identity has been politicised. Abdul feels that he has an obligation to defend his Muslim heritage by shining a light on the nationalistic, sometimes fascist, behaviours of sectors of Australian community contributing to the division of Australian and Muslim identities. Abdul draws visual cues from the documentation of the 2011 London Riots and the 2010 Arab Spring. A monkey mask is also featured in his current work as an abject representation of ‘the other’. In response to his art Abdul has received hate mail which has spurred him on to justify his practice.
As a teenager Abdul boxed and he believes it gave him a real sense of discipline, which he has been able to apply to his art practice. He is not scared to put his art out to the public domain. He is not scared to face an argument and he is not scared of criticism because it is not as frightening as any opponent in the boxing ring. He is hopeful that his art will encourage a more balanced understanding of the Muslim identity in the Australian community, after all, Abdul is a seventh generation Australian.
CREDITS
DIRECTED BY Mat de Koning & Brooke Tia Silcox
PRODUCED BY Brooke Tia Silcox
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Mat de Koning
ADDITIONAL CAMERA Alex Yates
EDITED BY Mat de Koning & Brooke Tia Silcox
GAFFER Dan Spriggs
STILLS PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Yates & Dion Cochrane
MUSIC Diger Rokwell
ABC POST PRODUCTION EDIT & GRADE Brian Rogers
ABC POST PRODUCTION AUDIO Kim Lord
BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER & LAWYER Claudia Lawson
SERIES PRODUCER Brendan Hutchens
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Nicola Harvey
PRODUCED in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
PRODUCED with the assistance of ScreenWest
FILMED ON LOCATION AND POST PRODUCED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA