Turning life into art: How Nurul Atiqah Zaidi uses oil and courage to break boundaries

Performance and visual artist Nurul Atiqah Zaidi (@nurulatiqahzaidi), 22, draws inspiration from how women are seen and how we see ourselves. Through charged, ritualistic works that blend memory, body, and culture, the final year Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts undergraduate reclaims the body through the female gaze, challenging and deconstructing societal ideals imposed on women.  Whether painting her pout with red lipstick or covering her body in oil, her practice is rooted in a fearless, full-bodied expression of womanhood, empowerment and the refusal to shrink.

“Fearlessness isn’t about being unafraid; it’s about refusing to shrink. In life and art, I choose to take up space, even if people think I’m ‘too much.’ To me, fearlessness is showing up — still styled, still present — even when you’re doubting yourself inside.

A few years ago, when I pitched my Final Year Project (FYP) Wanita, inspired by Orang Minyak films and folklore, I was openly mocked and called “too ambitious” because of the sheer number of crew members and women required to complete the film. Snide remarks from naysayers followed, including: “You are like a wild horse, and everyone else is like a pony.” That moment almost crushed me.

But I made the work anyway, with the support of my peers, and it ended up becoming one of my favourite pieces, one that paved the way for many opportunities I otherwise would never have received. That experience taught me something important: risk is often a mirror. If people react strongly, it means you’ve touched a nerve worth pursuing.

Fear often lurks in the background whether it is the fear of not being good enough or the fear of being ordinary. I use that fear as fuel. I layer it into my art, my performances, my styling choices. If something scares me, it probably means I should do it.”

Credits

Photography: Angela Guo 

Art direction and digital imaging: Adeline Eng

Hair: Zhou Aiyi using Revlon Professional Singapore 

Makeup: Eric Tan, using NARS