Biographie
Singaporean artist Israfil Ridhwan (b. 1999) is a visual storyteller. He transposes the lived and dreamed experiences of himself into a colourful and intimate arrangement of warm-hued canvases. The oil paintings of Israfil feature poster-like compositions, an alluring medley of relayed narratives and inspirations. Vivid colours, soft-blended brush strokes, and stoic looking figures welcome audiences to walk through a series of self-reflection and fantasy.
Portraiture, movement, and drama breeze through Israfil’s collection of works as he crafts a harmonious marriage of encounters with various cultural influences. Inspiration from artists like Frida Kahlo and various renaissance masters is apparent throughout his works. Israfil's works reflect a range of nuanced emotions, including self-criticism, obsession, and intimate portrayals of love, grief and loss.
Israfil Ridhwan graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (2020) with a Diploma in Fine Arts and has since participated in group exhibitions including, Art SG (2023) and (2024), Summer Group Show (2023), Little Red Dot – Singapore and London Edition (2022), Fresh Take (2021). Israfil held his first solo exhibition, The Divine Comedy in 2021, his second solo show Spaces In-Between in 2023 at Cuturi Gallery, and most recently, Art Paris in 2025.
Œuvres
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Freedom Is Heavy, 2026 -
DL Trade, 2025
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Glance, 2025
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The Daytime Moon, 2025
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A Lingering Stain, 2025
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Wet Cigarette, 2025
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Prologue, 2025
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Epilogue, 2025
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Heatwave, 2025
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This Time I'll Leave First, 2023
Expositions
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Some Things Last a Long Time
Israfil Ridhwan 12 Avril - 17 Mai 2025 SingaporeLire plus -
Art Paris 2025
Israfil Ridhwan 3 - 6 Avril 2025 Art FairsLire plus -
Summer Group Show 2024
Group Exhibition 17 Août - 7 Septembre 2024 SingaporeLire plus -
Taipei Dangdai 2024
Aisha Rosli, Faris Heizer, Israfil Ridhwan and Khairulddin Wahab 9 - 12 Mai 2024 Art FairsLire plus -
ART SG 2024
Aisha Rosli, Casey Tan, Faris Heizer, Israfil Ridhwan, Khairulddin Wahab, Marla Bendini, Shen Jiaqi and Vanessa Liem 19 - 21 Janvier 2024 Art Fairs, SingaporeLire plus -
Summer Group Show 2023
Group Exhibition 15 Juillet - 27 Août 2023 SingaporeLire plus -
ART SG
Aisha Rosli, Faris Heizer, Israfil Ridhwan, Khairulddin Wahab and Shen Jiaqi 12 - 15 Janvier 2023 Art FairsLire plus -
Little Red Dot - London Edition
Group Exhibition 26 Octobre - 6 Novembre 2022 LondonLire plus -
Little Red Dot - Singapore Edition
Group Exhibition 20 Août - 4 Septembre 2022 SingaporeLire plus -
The Divine Comedy
Israfil Ridhwan 24 Juillet - 15 Août 2021 SingaporeLire plus
Presse
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Despite It All: 2025, In Reflection
Did we have a good year in 2025? Our Malaysian and Singaporean creative scene reflects.LingJie Tuang, Men's Folio, Décembre 22, 2025 -
How One Collector Is Shaping The Legacy Of Singaporean Art
Through bold collecting, commissions and public engagement, veteran patron Chong Huai Seng is redefining the role of private collectors in Singapore’s art ecosystem.Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes, Décembre 7, 2025 -
How Private Art Collectors In Singapore Are Helping To Shape Our Artistic Future
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, a+ Singapore, Juillet 15, 2025 -
AWDB SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Israfil Ridhwan
Art World Database , Avril 4, 2025 -
Art Paris 2025 : la foire au for contemporain
Téa Antonietti, Harper;s Bazaar France, Avril 3, 2025 -
Comment la foire Art Paris met la scène émergente à l’honneur
Maïlys Celeux-Lanval, BeauxArts, Mars 28, 2025 -
Art Paris 2025 returns to Grand Palais with 170 exhibitors and 26 solo shows
Artdaily, Mars 14, 2025 -
Alif Sianipar & Israfil Ridhwan On Their Ideal Partners & Dating Profiles
A cut above the rest.Megan La Faber, ELLE Singapore, Février 25, 2025 -
Here On Our Fertile Grounds: 12 Gen Zs Contemplate Home and Creativity In Singapore
Charmaine Tan, Men's Folio, Août 30, 2024 -
形塑「台北當代」新力量：精選近三年國際新面孔
New Forces Shaping “Taipei Dangdai”: Some New International Faces in the Last Three YearsArtouch, Mai 11, 2024 -
From London to Tokyo: These Singaporean Artists Are Making a Splash on the Global Stage
After dominating the local art scene, these five trailblazers have gone on to flourish across international waters.Valecia Lee, ELLE Singapore, Mai 8, 2024 -
Exploring artistry: The best art galleries in Singapore
Tanisha Khanna, Asia One, Décembre 31, 2023 -
Singapore artists Israfil Ridhwan, Samuel Xun and Andre Wee on making work with meaning
Jeffrey Yan, The Straits Times, Décembre 29, 2023 -
Singapore Art Gallery Weekend 2023
ArtAsiaPacific, Septembre 13, 2023 -
Knockout shows at Singapore Art Gallery Weekend
Helmi Yusof, The Business Times, Septembre 7, 2023 -
Spaces In-Between
Mingli Seet, Timeout Singapore, Septembre 5, 2023 -
Arts Picks: Walking musical tour of Katong, exhibitions by Kumari Nahappan, Israfil Ridhwan
Shawn Hoo, The Straits Times, Août 31, 2023 -
Things To Do In Singapore: A Y2K Film Festival, A Korean Marketplace & More
Keng Yang Shuen, Female, Août 31, 2023 -
The Best Things To Do In Singapore This Week: 28th August 2023 to 3rd September 2023
City Nomads, Août 27, 2023 -
Growing global demand for Singaporean artists' works, but more needs to be done to draw youngsters into sector
Cherie Lok & Fabian Koh, Channel News Asia, Juillet 26, 2023 -
14 July 2023 — Cuturi Gallery to open its Summer Group Show
Stephanie Yeap, Plural Art Mag, Juillet 14, 2023 -
Things To Do In Singapore: A Group Show For Emerging Artists, The Return Of Enclave Bar & More
Keng Yang Shuen & Nicholas See, Female Singapore, Juillet 13, 2023 -
Lima pelukis muda giat ukir nama di persada seni
Puad Ibrahim, Berita Harian, Mars 13, 2023 -
Israfil Ridhwan is Part of The New Generation of Talented Artists Coming Out of Singapore
Rubén P, Overstandard, Janvier 21, 2023 -
Big business for some galleries, consolation for others at Art SG
Arthur Sim, The Straits Times, Janvier 16, 2023 -
Cuturi Gallery's Exhibition Celebrates Singaporean Artists Who Tanked Through Covid
Jolene Teo, Alien Space Crab, Août 22, 2022 -
Arts Picks: 29 Singapore artists in 3 group exhibitions show new work
Arthur SIm, The Straits Times, Août 19, 2022 -
In Singapore, Five Young Artists Expanding The Limits Of Masculinity
Keng Yang Shuen, Female Singapore , Juin 7, 2022 -
Young Artists To Place Your Bets On
Arthur Sim, The Straits Times, Février 20, 2022 -
Unruly Compositions Of The Nanyang Style From The Eyes Of Three Young Artists
Manfred Lu, Men's Folio Singapore, Décembre 23, 2021 -
11 up-and-coming artists in Singapore that you should know
Tanya Singh and Dewi Nurjuwita, Time Out Singapore, Juin 11, 2021
Bibliographie
Artist statement
One quote I’ve always stuck with is, “life imitates art”. Being someone who’s a little too in-touch with his emotions can be very draining. I’ve been blessed with the life I have- to live around people who express their thoughts and emotions to me. I see violence, lust, love, joy and so many more. Being inspired by this, I’ve made it my genre of art. When I paint something, it’s a parallel reflection of an emotion, valid or not. I’d like to think that I’m a mediator of some sort. My art style has been described as poster-like or figurative. I think it’s nice knowing that it is the way it is, as if life is a movie and my work is the summary.