Raja Shahriman 1st solo exhibition-1996.
The powerful, complex and often disturbing work of Raja Shahriman has given rise to many questions. Its violence and its portrayal of the figure sit uncomfortably with the artist’s life as a devotee and student of Islam. The work itself might be seen as a manifestation of conflict – spiritual, psychological and socio-cultural.

Raja Shahriman’s chosen material is iron, for its strength and properties (it is easily shaped). More simply it is also the base material for traditional Malay weaponry, which provides so much of his imagery, including the functional knives he also produces. The metal he uses for sculpture are old spare parts. He uses them because of their aesthetic form and sees in them parts of the human figure. His sculpture relies more on an instinctive energy and dynamic than on pre-meditated design. (Before each series Raja Shahriman works on his drawings for many months, sometimes even years. Each series is carefully thought of in terms of their concept and design. They are all pre meditated. They then develop and occasionally evolve during the process of their making.