Indonesian Identities

Mostra collettiva

Comunicato stampa

Primo Marella Gallery is pleased to present Indonesian Identities, a new project featuring three artists whose practice is now polarizing the attention of the vibrant Indonesian contemporary art community: Farhan Siki, Besta Bestrizal and S. Dwi Stya Acong. The exhibition lands after seven years from “The Alleys of a City named Jogya” when eleven Javanese street artists were selected by curator Jim Supangkat to be brought at the attention of a new enthusiastic public in Europe.

Farhan Siki (1971, Lamongan) draws inspirations from the most recognizable and famous visual icons in the history of Western art, from The Last Supper to The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo, from Michelangelo’s Adamo and Eva to Bauhaus experiences, reediting them with a truly contemporary technique and awareness. He reflects about the Pop Culture of the XXI Century, exploring textual elements, collecting logos, brands, and symbols of mass culture, charging them with hyperbolic attributes and parody. The urban life and the ever-increasing consumerist culture we daily encounter are crashed in a loud splash of colours, satirizing (from the inside) the contemporary art system and its distortions.

S. Dwi Stya Acong (1977, Malang, East Java) captures the light in a way that it is reminiscent of the repertoire of the French Impressionists. Through his short, unblended brushstrokes, he achieves an effect of intense colour vibrations. This makes further apparent the rupture between time and space, which is the recurring theme of his works. Anonymous wandering men always seem unsettled within the luxuriant hues of the paintings, yet they also make Acong's compositions particularly haunting and unforgettable. As S.Dwi Stya Acong renders absurd situations with stunning ease, he presents us with a fresh interpretation of Surrealist art.

Bestrizal Besta (1973, Padang, West Sumatra) lived in Pekanbaru before settling in the city of Yogyakarta, where he continues to hone his surrealistic drawings. Besta’s work is easily identifiable by hieratic stages, monochromatic palette enriched with hints of bright colours and intricate details. His paintings have been exhibited in many group and solo shows in Southeast Asia and enjoyed great sales and popularity at pivotal auctions such as Christie’s Hong Kong.