Gajah Gallery proudly presents Formless Existence, a solo exhibition featuring Erizal As. Departing from his earlier discourses on identity and the essence of humanity, this show documents the result of artistic introspection as Erizal turns the spotlight onto his recent explorations into extinction, corruption, and the loss of identity.
Questioning the existence of theism, righteousness, and justice, values that once were held so sacred to him, Erizal expresses his concern for the current condition of mankind. Formless Existence poses a shift in the artists perspective, a change of heart spurred by the onslaught of corruption and greed deep seeded in those in power and illuminated by media interjection. This devaluation of former moral principles gives life to the emergence of a formless existence experienced by Erizal which drives his recent artistic curiosity. However, rather than a manifestation of the pursuit of this elusive idea, this exhibition instead focuses on the subtle changing language of the abstract and how this art movement can be applied to the concept of formless existence.
Using paint as the primary medium, the works in this exhibition lend themselves to the artist’s imagination as he created each one as an ode to his obvious fascination with abstract art. Through his scrutiny, Formless Existence was built to portray the defiance of paint when seen through the lens of visual aesthetics.
Lending a larger meaning to paint as merely a medium, this exhibition acts as a metaphorical manifestation of Erizal’s personal views about the amoral and contradictory governance that imposes upon us all.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
One of the fastest emerging artists in Indonesian contemporary art, Erizal As has continuously proven himself to be exemplary in the fields of portraiture and the abstract. His unique style, best described as a balanced blend of chaos and rhythmic dynamism, is inspired by a musical conductor in an orchestra. Drawn to the inherent charisma of the role and the overt influence of the maestro’s presence, he developed a fascination with the concept of ‘leader’ and the frequently revealed disparity between their proclaimed and demonstrated personas. Erizal offers insight by way of studying the symbolic function of traditional portraits as a reflection of identity and character.
Trained at the Indonesian Institute of Fine Art, Erizal’s past exhibitions include Refiguring Portraiture at Gajah Gallery Singapore, Bakaba #5 at Sakato Art Community, If Time Stopped, a group exhibition at Gajah Gallery Yogyakarta, Reborn Every Time at Sangkring Art Space, and Indonesian Contemporary Art Exhibition in Beijing.
