Nothing more literal than this, what with the banner reel shouting the epithets, The Fake Human,’ adding to the banality. Typical of Hamir Soib’s Malaysian Hans Christian Andersonian (over)dramatized play-stories, hinting on human nature and contemporary truths. The face is hideous, not wholly human but more like that of a bull with nose-chains and face straps. Monstrous, with animal features if not instincts, but having characteristics of homo sapiens. With such a grotesque bestial face (one could well find other faces entombed within), it is not certain whether the main figure is that of a villain or a victim. Or is it reflecting the ugly side of human characters? With the bitumen paint, Hamir Soib has run riot with narratives that can work on several levels, which begs the question: What is human? After graduating from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1991, he concentrated more on film and theatre productions, even winning Best Art Director (with Zuraini Anuar) for Perempuan Melayu Terakhir in the 14th Malaysian Film Festival. He founded The Gudang warehouse art space in 2002, and had his first solo in 2005. That year, he won the Incentive Award in the Shah Alam Open competition. He was a finalist in the Sovereign Art Award Hong Kong in 2007. He recently opened his studio for visit, showcasing his huge masterpiece which he had been working for months, and months.