In 1982, Israel Defence Forces invaded Lebanon to drive out the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The siege of Beirut took place for seventy days, as Israeli forces attacked Beirut by air, sea, artillery bombardments, power shutdowns, and cutting of food supplies. Hundreds of people were killed in the Beirut saturated bombings. In retaliation for the assassination of newly elected Lebanese president Bachir Gemayel, Lebanese forces killed 2,000 Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, including women and children. Awang Damit Ahmad is credited to have started one of the most compelling new abstracts related to land, purpose and people. A relatively late starter in art at the age of 27, he first studied at the Mara Institute of Technology, where he was Best Student, before getting his Masters at the Catholic University in Washington DC (1989-1990). He catapulted into top-artist status when he not only won the 1st Prize but also the Consolation Prize in the hugely coveted Salon Malaysia III at the National Art Gallery. It was for his Nyanyian Petani Gunung (now in the Petronas collection). He also won 2nd Prize in the Malaysian Bank Association art competition in 1988. His international exhibitions include the Contemporary Paintings of Malaysia at the Asia-Pacific Museum in Pasadena, Los Angeles, in 1988. He also excelled as lecturer at Universiti ITM until May 2011, when he retired to go full time into Art. Prices of his artworks often soar high in auction houses locally and abroad. His recent solo presentation From Payarama to Garismega: 2013-2020 was co-organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers and Galeri Prima.