Born in 1962 in Singapore, Salleh bin Japar is a conceptual multi-disciplinary artist whose work addresses concerns of identity and society, Muslim values, and globalisation. Salleh came to prominence with the seminal 1988 collaborative exhibition ‘Trimurti’, and in 2001 was a Singapore Pavilion representative at the 49th Venice Biennale.After completing his studies in Australia in 1990, Salleh’s subsequent work reflected his preoccupation with spirituality: “The world is in crisis and the societies we live in seem to have lost their sense of destiny....". “Spirit Trap” is partially suspended, yet appears simultaneously weighed down by debris. A partially completed image can be seen to be emerging from the hanging cloth, recalling once again the pall cloth used to cover the Muslim coffin. The work appears analogous of the difficulty humans face in divesting themselves of superfluous worldly goods or in reaching a higher state of being.
