The pivotal Gerak Tempur series, conceived in 1996, stands as one of Raja Shahriman’s most iconic and celebrated bodies of work. Consisting of dynamic figurative sculptures constructed from discarded metal parts, the series reflects on the martial art traditions and inner fortitude that define the warrior.  Raja Shahriman stands among the few Malaysian artists who have achieved exceptional mastery in contemporary sculpture. Working primarily in metal, his practice involves a similar technique developed by traditional blacksmiths. Rich in expression, his works cover the spectrum of Nature, Religion and Culture, and are all rooted in Malayness, first captured the imagination with his Killing Tools (1994) in the Killing Tools, Lalang and Warbox exhibition. He used metal scraps for linear anatomical constructs. He had his first solo, Gerak Tempur, in 1996. He enrolled as a Painting major at the Mara Institute of Technology but switched to Sculpture in the fifth semester, graduating in 1990. In 1994, after three years of teaching at the Malaysian Institute of Art, he returned to his hometown Kuala Kangsar. He was honoured with a solo show at Galeri Petronas.