Gajah Gallery Yogyakarta proudly presents EFFLORESCENCE, a two women show featuring new works by emerging Singaporean artist Weixin Chong (b. 1988) and Indonesian artist Fika Ria Santika (b. 1987).
The works presented in EFFLORESCENCE touches upon the themes of travel, migration, and movement away from the comfort of one’s home – examining the impact it has on their artistic production and conception of the new. Though artistically based in two different cities – Weixin in Singapore and Fika in Yogyakarta – the exhibition acts as a parallel universe where their thoughts , reflections, and its visual form meet; encapsulated within the premise of our gallery space in Yogyakarta.
The exhibition is evident of two seemingly isolated practices which became nothing short of complimentary in its thought-provoking explorations of the self; and its relation to the concept of home. In their own distinct and unique visual language, the two artists struggles with the conflict between an urge to conserve and retain a sense of home versus the desire to transform and incorporate the unfamiliar into their practice. Nonetheless, EFFLORESCENCE bears witness to the discovery of balance between the two poles found amidst displacement , as they pause and enter into a new environment; eventually resulting in works which exudes femininity and a sense of independence.
Fika Ria Santika graduated from Padang State University, Padang – Indonesia in 2010 and graduated from ISI Yogyakarta – Indonesia in 2012 for Magister. She was a winner of Mural Design Contest at National Gallery of Indonesia in 2014. Recently she undertook a residency at Selasar Sunaryo Artspace, Bandung – Indonesia in 2015, and has exhibited in Indonesia as well as Singapore.
Having completed studies in both the Royal College of Art, London and Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore, Weixin Chong has exhibited and worked on projects in highly varied environments and situations. She is fascinated with the conversations between digital and organic, surface and superficiality, impossibilities, transcendence, translation.
