Badra Aji’s practice draws deeply from personal and collective memory, manifesting in works that blur the boundaries between the intimate and the political. Through a combination of figurative painting, drawing, video, and photography, he constructs poetic semi-narratives, employing a deliberate disjuncture between imagery and language to produce visual poetry. This intentional friction creates distance for the viewer, positioning them as both witness and outsider. Aji’s use of archival photos, historical paintings, and personal imagery furthers this tension, embedding his work with layers of symbolism and gestures towards magical realism.
Aji’s strategy of recontextualising pre-existing images functions as a critique of dominant white heteronormative narratives, creating a space for his lived experiences to challenge these frameworks. The dissonance between image and meaning not only disrupts familiar interpretations but also asserts the significance of marginalised perspectives. Through this approach, Aji’s practice navigates the intersection of personal history and broader socio-political structures, destabilising mainstream narratives and inviting critical reflection.
Badra Aji is represented by THIS IS NO FANTASY, Naarm/Melbourne.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Victorian College of The Arts, University of Melbourne, 2016.
Diploma of Visual Art, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2013.
Exhibitions
Baby Star, Prop Gallery, Sydney, Australia, 2024
Ramsay Art Prize 2023, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, 2023
Foreign Objects, This Is No Fantasy, Melbourne, Australia, 2022
Lonely Is Not Always Quiet, BLINDSIDE ARI, Melbourne, Australia, 2020
Rindu (Longing), SEVENTH Gallery, Melbourne, 2019
L’au-Dela Des Possibles, FIAP Paris, Paris, 2019
Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, 2019
Lovesick Rodeo, At Current ARI, Melbourne, Australia, 2019
Paul Guest Drawing Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Australia, 2018
Sans Direction, TCB Art Inc, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
Cut and Paste, Red Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
Liminoid, George Paton Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
Majlis Travelling Scholarship 2016, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
Australian Landscape Painting, VCA Student Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
Space-Age Lovers, VCA Student Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2015
Halfway There, Melbourne City Library, Melbourne, Australia, 2015
Observation and Normality, First Site Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2014
CCP Salon 2013, CCP, Melbourne, Australia, 2013
Transubstantiation, RMIT TAFE Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2013
Life Drawing, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Awards
Ramsay Art Prize (Finalist), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, 2023
City of Melbourne Arts Grants Recipient, 2020
Dobell Drawing Prize (Finalist), National Art School Gallery, Sydney, Australia, 2019
Paul Guest Drawing Prize (Finalist), Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Australia, 2018
Blair Trenthowan TCB Art Inc Awards, TCB, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
Garry Grossbard Drawing Prize, VCA, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
Majlis Travelling Scholarship, VCA, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
Residencies
DrawInternational, Caylus, France, 2017.