Gajah Gallery is proud to present prominent Indonesian artist, Yunizar’s highly anticipated solo exhibition in Singapore, where he presents new canvas and bronze sculpture works. It has been 4 years since his last successful solo show in Singapore at Gajah Gallery.
In this new series of works, five paintings are placed in specially made white-washed wooden frames with scalloped edges punctuated by diamond studs. Motivated by the artist’s primary intent to make aesthetically pleasing artworks, these decorative borders are derived from his keen interest in traditional Indonesian patterns, in which the arch line is a basic and recurring element.
Inside the uniform bounds of the canvas works are more improvisatory compositions, rendered in the earthy colours of amber, beige and black usually found in Yunizar’s oeuvre. The works are a mix of solitary figures, and a dense tessellation of miniature motifs that include fish skeletons, stick figures and four-legged creatures. It clearly encapsulates the words of Indonesian art critic Enin Supriyanto on Yunizar that he “devotes his artistic explorations to a search for simplicity of expression”. He is driven to divest the agency of understanding that limits perspectives.
Aside from the canvas works, Yunizar has simultaneously delved into working with metal. These works complement his paintings in this upcoming exhibition. After his return from Hajj last year, Yunizar has been collaborating with the Yogyakarta Art Lab (YAL – a major initiative by Gajah Gallery), to perfect a series of bronze sculptures. The history of Bronze art dates back to the early Greek civilizations that dealt with bronze to immortalize their cultures. Yunizar’s take on bronze reinterprets the classical notion of the metal and presents it in more contemporary fashion, with his unmistakable scribbles and unrefined silhouette of his sculptures.
With the expertise and equipment rendered by YAL, Yunizar has expanded his artistic repertoire, adding another feather to his cap. Casting metal is a relatively new experimentation for Yunizar, which he has humbly acknowledged and has spent a considerable amount of time perfecting. Alongside the technicians at YAL, Yunizar has been vigorously experimenting with the patina processes on bronze to achieve his vision for perfect color. The end product is beautiful 2-sided bronze sculptures that capture the enigmatic canvas protagonist of the artist.
Yunizar was born in Talawi, West Sumatra, Indonesian, in 1971 and graduated from the prestigious Indonesian Institute for the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta in 1999. Yunizar is a leading member of the Jendela group, Indonesia’s most prominent contemporary art collective.
