Gajah Gallery is honoured to be part of the inaugural edition of Art Moments Jakarta, Indonesia’s latest contemporary art fair which features over 30 of the leading galleries from Asia and beyond. This highly-anticipated event will be held from 3 – 5 May at the Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel, alongside an exceptional public display of sculptural works at Gandaria City Mall.
Founding member of the Jendela Art Group, Rudi Mantofani, presents the latest works from his ‘World Series’, exploring the perception of Indonesia by its inhabitants and the country’s place in an increasingly globalized world. Established Indonesian abstract expressionist Ibrahim premieres new paintings, following the success of his latest solo exhibition at the gallery last year.
Likewise, promising young artists Fika Ria Santika and Octora, showcase a selection of works that best highlights their artistic practice. Drawing from nature and her Minangkabau heritage, Fika combines the natural and technological, to present colourful installations which resemble organic subjects. Octora’s practice focuses on photographic prints of Balinese women taken during the Dutch colonial period, exploring the colonial and post-colonial gaze, official history and collective memory.
As one of the paragon dealers of contemporary Southeast Asian art, Gajah Gallery presents several of the most noteworthy names across the region, featuring Ashley Bickerton (USA), Erizal As (Indonesia), Fika Ria Santika (Indonesia), Handiwirman Saputra (Indonesia), Ibrahim (Indonesia), Kayleigh Goh (Malaysia), Mangu Putra (Indonesia), Octora (Indonesia), Rudi Mantofani (Indonesia), Sabri Idrus (Malaysia) and Yunizar (Indonesia).
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ashley Bickerton is among the most well-known expatriate artists, residing in Bali for almost 25 years. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum in New York, the Tate Gallery in London and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Ashley is known for his poignant social commentaries, which draw from an anthropological perspective of looking at consumerism, the cross-pollination of culture and the widespread decay of humanistic values.
Erizal As is a rising Indonesian artist, whose first solo exhibition in Singapore has catapulted the painter into the spotlight, drawing the attention of regional and international collectors. His ‘Faceless’ series seeks to capture the disparity between proclaimed and perceived identities of political or ideological authorities.
Fika Ria Santika is an emerging Indonesian artist whose practice draws from nature and her Minangkabau heritage, seeking inspiration from themes such as unexplained change, cycles of life and inevitable growth. Despite drawing creative stimulus from organic forms, Fika approaches her artistic practice with technological materials, gracefully combining the natural and unnatural.
Handiwirman Saputra is well-known for challenging expectations, transforming mundane everyday materials into the majestic. Playfully creating works that tend to be either monumental or miniature, the audience is spurred to reconsider their relationship with the materials involved, seeing the world with new perspectives and perceptions.
Kayleigh Goh is a young Malaysian artist who recently held her first solo exhibition in Singapore. Working predominately with the mediums of cement and wood, Kayleigh creates metaphysical spaces that offer us a temporary escape from the bustle of everyday life. Her works embrace the city as a space for healing, moving the viewer to contemplate on the ideas of home and rest.
Mangu Putra is renowned for his paintings of wilderness, mountains, waters and fish, and other forms of nature – appearing true-to-life yet also strangely artificial and overly idealistic. The artist’s vision of the world is not a natural one, but rather a version contaminated by society; a commentary on humanity’s effect on the natural environment.
Octora centres her practice around an ongoing fascination with ethnographic portrait photography taken during the Dutch colonial period. Re-staging the images with herself as the model, Octora intervenes in the historical gaze whilst questioning how the medium itself has been utilized as a tool of power and domination.
Rudi Mantofani is one of Indonesia’s most acclaimed artists, whose works are well-known for their thought-provoking experimentations with realism and absurdity. By manipulating mundane objects, the artist opens up their potential and reveals new ways of seeing through irony and illusion.
Sabri Idrus is a Malaysian abstract artist well-known for his experimental approach in combining painting, graphic design and industrial materials. His practice revolves around working with surface, creating sensual textures through a meticulous process of layering.
Yunizar continually proves his massive appeal to international audiences, enchanting collectors and curators all over the world. His work reflects an ideal of imaginative and authentic expression, using a combination of primitive markings and elementary forms to create a universal visual language.
