A visitor studies Najib’s 'The Promised Garden XI,' at G13 Gallery, a series which captures Monet’s Giverny garden through all four seasons. Photo: The Star/M. Irsyad
Najib Bamadhaj might not usually dwell on tour diaries or vacations, but his latest exhibition offers a window into the experiences and reflections that shaped his new work.
After exhibiting his nature-inspired works at Art Zurich 2025 in Switzerland, he took a train to Giverny, France for a few days, hoping to catch a glimpse of French painter Claude Monet’s world.
Wandering through the French town's maze-like garden, searching for the iconic bridge and watching light ripple across the pond, he found more than a painter’s legacy.
In that quiet encounter, Najib saw Monet not just as an art giant, but as someone who patiently built a sanctuary with his own hands – a reminder that great art can begin with tending to a garden.
That visit now anchors Najib’s fifth solo series, The Promised Garden, featuring 12 paintings at G13 Gallery in Petaling Jaya until Dec 13.
“It wasn’t just the beauty of the garden,” says Najib, 38, in a recent interview at G13 Gallery.
'I was struck by the idea of someone devoting 43 years to cultivating a sanctuary, season after season,' says Najib about visiting Monet's gardens in Giverny, France. Photo: The Star/M. Irsyad
“I was struck by the idea of someone devoting 43 years to cultivating a sanctuary, season after season. Monet created a world that people like me can still walk into today. That changed how I saw him – not only through his paintings, but as a person who patiently built a life around his art.”
The Paris-born Monet (1840-1926) lived and painted in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926.
At Giverny, Monet, the founder of Impressionism, had four studios. Two were filled wall-to-wall with his paintings, while a costly garden studio built in 1914–1916 was dedicated to his waterlily works. His largest studio, however, was his meticulously tended Japanese-style garden – reflecting his belief that painting and gardening were his only true passions.
A deeper appreciation
In Giverny, Najib – part art seeker, part tourist – got a firsthand appreciation of Monet’s surroundings.
During his brief visit, he took notes, photographed, and collected materials on the Monet gardens. While he captured many images, what he really sought was to “feel” the garden’s atmosphere. He noted historical details and the spots Monet painted, focusing especially on the bridge and the waterlilies.
"Like many artists, my work reflects my own vision. I didn’t want to paint a garden just for its own sake – I wanted to capture nature itself. I’ve long wished to create a series like this, as many figurative artists have: Yusof Ghani with his Taman series, and Latiff Mohidin with Rimba," he says.
Najib's painting 'The Promised Garden X' which details one of the many lakes in Monet's garden in Giverny, during spring. Photo: G13 Gallery
While The Promised Garden drew its core inspiration from Najib’s visit to France, a chance encounter with veteran artist Ahmad Zakii Anuar in Janda Baik in Selangor added an important element – the blue butterfly that appears in every painting of the series.
As they sat facing the jungle at sunset, a large blue butterfly drifted between them, momentarily interrupting their conversation.
"After that day, I did some research and was surprised to learn that such a butterfly is a symbol of good luck. At that moment, I felt I could use a little," he recalls.
"I believe blessings come in signs like this, and when you see one, you have to follow it."
That fleeting encounter became the series’ central symbol. Najib began to read the garden as a metaphor for success, and the butterfly as a reminder of human fragility.
Working with acrylic, bitumen, and hints of silver and gold leaf on jute, he builds textured, weathered surfaces that suggest a garden slowly evolving over time – mirroring the way people chase beauty, achievement, and meaning.
Najib's painting 'The Promised Garden II' which offers a glimpse of Monet's garden in Giverny, France. Photo: G13 Gallery
"Every element in my paintings is deliberate," he says.
"Like people, butterflies are drawn to a beautiful garden – a symbol of success – but we forget how fragile we can be. When I add gold and silver to a butterfly, it represents wealth and material desires, which quickly capture our attention."
A living artwork
Learning more about Monet deepened this idea.
The French painter spent over 40 years shaping the garden at Giverny, gradually acquiring land and transforming it into the water-lily haven known today.
"He treated the garden as a living artwork. What started as a modest plot eventually became one of France’s most photographed and visited gardens. When I was there, hundreds of visitors walked the same paths Monet tended, and you can even see the spots where he painted," says Najib.
In Malaysia, he knows it’s challenging to depict all four seasons, as Monet did, revisiting the same motifs to study subtle shifts in light and colour over time.
"I now understand why Monet kept painting his garden. I only saw it in spring, but I hope to return in the other seasons. I feel a renewed desire to keep painting gardens – and an impatience to go back to Giverny," he concludes
Najib Bamadhaj’s The Promised Garden is at G13 Gallery in Petaling Jaya until Dec 13.
