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ARTICLES

2008-01-18
Heri Dono enters a new phase
Carla Bianpoen

Heri Dono — Indonesia's most renowned artist and one of the most prominent contemporary Southeast Asian artists in the world — has entered a new phase in his artistic life. This was evident in the work he presented at the 22nd Asian International Art Exhibition in late November 2007. Featuring fiberglass and aluminum sculptures of heads licking 100,000 rupiah bills, his most recent installation work is a pungent and provocative treat — crisp, to the point, without the playful allusions of his previous works. It seems the time for grotesque toys — ranging from distorted wayang (Indonesian shadow puppet) figures to eerie caricatures of otherworldly monsters or aliens from outer space — is over. “The democratic atmosphere allows us to speak in straightforward language,” Dono says, “there is no need any more to hide behind metaphors.”

For over two decades Dono's images have enticed the world. A wildly imaginative amalgam of Hindu-Javanese wayang, cartoon and pop sources, they have challenged the hegemony of Western artists in contemporary art and resisted the trend of forsaking local influences in favor of modern Western modes of expression. By reinventing the traditional and the local, Dono constructed his own idiom to speak up against bureaucratic absurdity, torture, hypocrisy, gender inequity, military repression and power madness, both in Indonesia and in the world at large. With this personal language he was free to say whatever he wanted to say.

Being free is a dream Dono has pursued since his early youth. Born (1960) and raised in Jakarta, he used to �secretly' visit TIM, the center of art activity in the capital at the time — secretly, because he did not wish any of his friends to know. “I admired the artists, mostly poets, who could freely say what they wanted to say,” he says. There and then he decided he would be an artist. He enrolled at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta after graduating from high school in 1980 and later studied wayang kulit (leather shadow puppet theater) under a master of the art, Sukasman.

The mythic stories, dramatis personae, and narrative and visual conventions of classical wayang have formed a central point of reference throughout Dono's work. As he pondered freedom of the mind and freedom of expression, a guardian angel figure came to epitomize the free flight of imagery in his art. “Angels have wings and can fly wherever they want, ” he once said. And so, he let angels transport him to the remotest corners of imagination, picking up elements of real life, wayang and cartoon strips en route. Part wooden sculpture, part robot, his angels, with their flapping wings and erect penises, were at once extremely weird-looking yet endearingly impudent creatures....read more on C-Arts Magazine (ISSUE#01) read more in ARTISTS PROFILES @ C-ARTS VOLUME-01


HIGHLIGHTS
2011-03-30

Van Gogh Alive – the Exhibition set to open on 16 April 2011 

Singapore (30 March 2011) In commemoration of Van Gogh’s birth date today, the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands announced that it will host the world touring premiere of Van Gogh Alive – the Exhibition. Visitors will get to experience Vincent Van Gogh’s art work come alive in an exhibition that will combine the latest in sound and projection technology using images of Van Gogh’s masterpieces.

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2011-01-05

Works by Vincent Leow A mid-career survey of Vincent Leow’s oeuvre marking a new direction in the artistic practice of Leow,

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2011-01-05

Organized by Hou Hanru in collaboration with ShContemporary 9th September, 2010

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2031-01-01

An interesting exploration into art in Singapore by nineteen artists, including seniors like Tang Da Wu, Jimmy Ong and Zai Kuning “who have lived

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2010-10-06

The installations of Java’s Machine: Phantasmagoria by Augustinus Kuswidananto (a.k.a. Jompet) have been shown in a number of variations, exploring syncretism or strategies to reconcile

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2010-10-06

Filipino artist Bembol Dela Cruz presents the concept of art reflecting art, with an explosive narrative that carves life out

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2010-10-06

Islamic art in Indonesia used to be associated with religious calligraphy only, but in 2009 Lawangwangi’s exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art showed that calligraphy is just a form of language.

...read more.
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EMERGING ARTIST

There is a new epidemic trend in the contemporary art of Asia sweeping through the population of younger artists: Animamix Art.

 

 

Amalia Kartika Sari

 

Each artist has a full right, and at the same time an obligation, to explore forms and ideas continuously, although naturally there will be many obstructions and challenges along the way.

Hayatudin

 

“A community is often proud of a certain building, viewing it with a sense of grandeur. Meanwhile, a range of monumental idioms are often used to mark great moments in history. 

Edo Pillu

From different generations and cultural backgrounds, S Teddy D and Daniel Flanagan present together their collaboration on Transubstantiation.

Daniel Flanagan

From different generations and cultural backgrounds, S Teddy D and Daniel Flanagan present together their collaboration on Transubstantiation.

 

S Teddy D

Not unlike other Filipino-Americans who journey to the Philippines to learn more about their roots, Hanna Pettyjohn undertook such a passage in reverse.

 

Hanna Pettyjohn

I do not wish to become a president, professor, doctor, governor, celebrity, corruptor, politic expert or anything else.

Nyoman Darya

Solo Exhibition:

 

1998 Urban Personality Exhibition, Chongqing, China

2001 Hangzhou Jincai Gallery

 

 

 

He Wei-Na

Ong-Arj’s painting has point out thoroughly content in a society condition today. Even it express through looks weird human image.

 

Ong-Arj Loeamornpagsin

Fazar paints with his heart. He believes that his interpretation is like “worship”. Any composition existing in his painting is his effort of concretizing what he feels.

 

Fajar Roma Agung Wibisono

With great imagination, he has been using a very unique artistic language to express his very much primitive and strong emotion on the surrounding characters.

Yang Pei Jiang

In Ardana’s works garlic becomes most artistic in various ways it is rendered whether it is presented individually or in groups of bulbs, cut open, blown up, its thin and transparent layers peeled, as well as severed and torn.

Dewa Ngakan Ardana

Filippo Amato Sciascia (born at Palma, Di Montechiaro, Italy, 1972) will present his solo exhibition of his recent works titled Lux Lumina at Kendra Gallery of Contemporary Art from the 12th December 2009 – 14th January 2010. 

Lux Lumina

Hui Xin’s art addresses both the phenomenon of our constant need for visual stimuli, as well as our desire to be surrounded by objects that give us pleasure. His new paintings and sculptures bring out a dichotomy between naive happiness and adult-themed amusements.

Hui Xin

Since childhood, Nano has enjoyed reading comics, even producing his own comic book in junior high school. Comics became the first visual art Nano came to know. 

Nano Warsono

2002:"Ilusi Koran", Semarang Gallery, Semarang. "Transisi", Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta.

Budi Ubrux

Selected Solo Exhibition 

2005:“Paradoks Batas”, Edwin Galeri, Jakarta. 2003: “Painthink”, Edwin Galeri, Jakarta.

F. Sigit Santoso

He got  The Special Award  From The 25th Exhibition of Contemporary art in 2008 and winner Prize from 11th Panasonic  Contemporary Painting Competition when he postgraduate. 

Chalermpon Ratanakomonwat

The inspiration behind his recent paintings came in 2005 while he was observing his second child was a son. People say that when babies sleep they are guarded by angels. This common experience evoked a wave of questions: Was the baby dreaming? What was he dreaming about? What was he feeling?

WAHYU GEIYONK

“Many artists like to ponder on the past and the present through the history of human civilization,” says young artist Wang Mian. “With pieces of information and inspiration they

WANG MIAN
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ART AGENDA

The Tang Shipwreck: Gold and Ceramics from 9th-century China
www.golinharris.com
 
Don’t Forget To Remember
www.dontforgettoremember.org
 
Solo Exhibition of Sui Jianguo and Zang Kunkun happening at MOCA and Linda Gallery
www.lindagallery.com
 
Rhapsody for the Otherness
www.oneeastasia.org
 
Gajah Gallery presents A celebration of our 15 years
 

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