WATER

WATER A GROUP EXHIBITION

BY FOUR ARTISTS FROM THE ASIAN CONTINENT

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JIGGER CRUZ BUDI AGUNG KUSWARA I MADE PALGUNA SABRI IDRUS

TAKSU is a leading contemporary art gallery and specialist in Southeast Asia. Representing selections of fine art with distinctive urban edge, we are at the forefront of contemporary art in this region. TAKSU works to forge a platform for established and emerging artists to share their pool of creativity and knowledge through its residency programs and exhibitions. Encapsulating the true meaning of the word TAKSU; divine inspiration, energy, and spirit.

Suherwan Abu Director, TAKSU Galleries

Four artists from three countries—Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines— gather for this special exhibition at Taksu Gallery, titled “Water”. Jigger (Jigger Cruz, the Philippines), Kabul (Budi Agung Kuswara, Indonesia), Palguna (I Made Arya Palguna, Indonesia) and Sabri (Sabri Idrus, Malaysia) offer their unique interpretations on “Water”, each according to their own aesthetic orientation and artistic practice. Jigger, for instance, is known for his portrait series that feature a number of human characters presented with fluid, flowing colors and textures. Meanwhile, Kabul’s works show various figures complete with attributes that refer to popular motifs. Next, Palguna offers figural three-dimensional works. And finally, Sabri is seen exploring the interplay of textures and compositions in his works.

Generally speaking, their works feature a diversity of figurative forms, colors, compositions, surfaces and textures. Their achievements thus far are not sudden discoveries, but rather results of a long series of experimentation and creative processes. These artists actively exhibit their works, through either solo shows or group exhibitions, not just domestically but also internationally. Thus, this current exhibition also provides them with another unique experience, where they can witness the developments and achievements of one another’s most recent works. And certainly for us, as those who appreciate these works, this exhibition also offers the opportunity to witness the shape of contemporary art in today’s Southeast Asia.

The development of art in the Southeast Asian region is arguably different from the linear development of art in the Western world. Many art observers have noted that the development of art in Southeast Asia follows a non-linear route, in a sense that art development in the region also features the involvement of local culture and spiritual values. These values have permeated into the aesthetic orientations and artistic practices of most artists from the region. I think that Jigger, Kabul, Palguna, and Sabri occupy a place in this art paradigm. Jigger is, for instance, drawn to the various forms of mythology that continue to exist even today. Kabul directs his attention to a concept of harmony between the micro- and macro-cosmos. Meanwhile, Palguna—like the Bali-born Kabul— also paid his attention to the values of the culture he grew up in, including his memories of Balinese classical art traditions. Sabri is interested in formal aspects that are markedly different from Western formalism. For Sabri, the juxtaposition of signs in his works serves to mark the various stories and memories coalescing in Sabri’s consciousness.

Their works reflect a distinct semiotic adventure. They are responding to the various signs found within their own geo-cultural contexts. These signs are composed into new ones. This practice is none other than a way to put forward new meanings presented in a parody or satire. Examine closely Jigger’s works, presented in classical painting frames. In “Flesh Matter”, “Man as a piece of Metaphor”, “Mr Green Blue Green”, and “Wrap Oil on Wooden Framed”, Jigger has arranged an attraction of lines over this symbol of classic painting.

These works appear as though a satire and parody of Western modern paintings.

Jigger has freely deconstructed the structure of modern paintings in his unique way. Certainly, this is a deliberate move on Jigger’s part. He seems to enjoy the visual sensations he is able to find. If classical paintings represent a kind of order, then Jigger’s line arrangements speak of the opposite: a state of no order.

On Water Yogyakarta, August 15, 2013 Sudjud Dartanto Art Writer and Lecturer

In Kabul’s works, we can see how he plays with popular symbols using decorative nuances as their backgrounds. These days, Kabul enjoys a narrative style in his works. This narrative structure can be divided between the story’s main theme and its background. See for instance “Romantisme Selat Malaka” [lit. Malacca Straits Romanticism], “Simulasi” [lit. Simulation], “Bukan Lagu Lama” [lit. Not an Old Song]. We witness how Kabul has constructed his narrative through the attribution of words and sentences. Looking closely, these words and sentences describe a play in text. Figures in Kabul’s works are popular figures. Audiences will no doubt recognize the figures presented. There is a certain humor to be found in Kabul’s works. Here, we can experience how Kabul views reality through the perspective of parody. The decorative atmosphere of his works reveals an image of nature. He states that he [often] finds himself engaged in the creation of a concept-based ecology. Fronting these contemplative intentions in his artworks are playful lyricisms. Whimsical situations and fantastical landscapes couch his preoccupation into themes of environmentalism, introspection and self-reflexive inquiry.

Meanwhile Palguna’s works present female figures in their various acts and poses, sometimes in a boat, sometimes solitary. We see a figure in a boat, in a cup, there is a play on centers of gravity, the woman’s long hair bearing her body weight. There is a distinct impression when each object in his works is constructed using different materials, from metal to wood. See, for instance, “Crown of Beauty”, “Invisible Water”, “Morning Glory”, and “On the River of Life”. These days, Palguna seems drawn to three-dimensional forms. It seems as though he has found a unique sensation in his sculptures. In his most recent works, we can see his figures in full volume. The expressions of female figures in Palguna’s works remind us of totem-objects found in traditional cultures.

His sculptures seem to exude magical/mystical charm. Art, for him, is his daily life. His artwork is self-therapy. Through his works, he understands the reality of being human surrounded by socio-cultural issues.

Through “Tinggalan” [lit.Leavings], “After the Rain”, “Dried”, and “Underground”, Sabri has put forward intense compositions and textural play, exploring spatial forms. We may see how Sabri has presented diverse constructions of form and space. Most of his constructions refer to a wall of a certain space. From their colors, we can see how Sabri has considered the characters of colors and textures to create the reductive impression he seems to be aiming for. Do the signs in Sabri’s works speak merely of a formal dimension?

Perhaps not. For Sabri, the play of surfaces, areas, and textural compositions have their references in certain memories. This shows how Sabri’s works are not fully formalistic. He explains that the idea behind the rugged surface is the effect of reduction. The marks left on the surface are created through a brutal approach to painting. The chops shown are the effect of grinding and folding rapidly, as though being put through a massive wave of water-flood. It is a reference to Kuala Lumpur’s great flood of 1971, the year he was born.

o n wat e r

These works, by Jigger, Kabul, Palguna, and Sabri, demonstrate a creative symptom borne out of eclectic experiences. All of their works are responses to the idea of “Water”, as the theme/title of this exhibition. They each interpret “water” symbolically and philosophically. Jigger derived his idea from the adage “humans are made of water”, an idea mined from a mythological cache. His works symbolize the circulation of meaning and that which reaches beyond the boundaries of each individual. For him, water is a major component of the transformation of forms into eternal aspects. Kabul is in the opinion that water has always been a key motif in many of his works. A reason being that he spent most of his childhood by the sea and that many of his life experiences are derived from it. Water is an element that comprises a huge proportion of the human body and the earth. It provides an endless stream of imagination for him. As a Balinese, he believes that water is one of the vital sources of life and is the primary element in Balinese ceremonies. Bringing this into art, he finds it increasingly critical to discuss issues surrounding water, as its scarcity and pollution in many parts of the world become urgent matters to address. Not forgetting that in our social reality, water is also the body that transports cultures and ideas from one place to another.

Meanwhile, Palguna views water as an element of life and our body. As element of our body, water gives us life and is part of various ritual ceremonies. To a Balinese, water is very important. As an element of life, water is a source of energy that propels and nurtures natural life. Water can be a friend and an enemy. In this era of globalization, water is vital and there is an increasing concern to preserve it, notably through the “go-green” movement and discourse.

Therefore, using water as a topic to approach socially critical issues is necessary.

We can use these issues to inspire more care about water and environment. Sabri further elaborates “water” as an idea that stemmed from his view of erosion or the removal of surfaces. This was previously explored in his “Karat” series (2002) on metal plate; then revisited in the reduction of color and space in his “Masa” series (2010). The settlement on the surface of cotton looks as though it is sculpted by a massive rush of water (tsunami) flowing in underground passages. The engraved canvas has been eroded. This approach allows the canvas to appear as one that has been ripped away from strong waterways.

A destruction.

This text views those works as a signifying practice. These artists actively appropriate a number of signs found within their cultural vocabularies—cultures that are ever-changing and interconnected with the spirit of the age. Art has allowed people to experience subjectivity, as seen in their aesthetic orientations and artistic practices, translated into tangible works of art. At the same time, their works retain a universal side, where they transcend the spatial boundaries of where they live and work. This universal side helps us appreciate their works, wherever we may be.

s udj ud dartanto

Completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Far Eastern University, Philippines in 2007. He had mounted 8 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions in different cities: “Swing”, Blanc Art Space, Makati City, Philippines (2008). “Constructing Deconstruction”, Tala Gallery,Quezon City, Philippines (2009). “Anti-Depressants On Paper”, Crucible Gallery, Mandaluyong City (2011). “Dead End”, West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines (2011).“Birth of the Party Bantam Paintings”, Secret Fresh, San Juan City (2012). “Spatial Soother”,West Gallery, Quezon City (2012).

“Glitch Habitation”, Primae Noctis, Lugano, Switzerland (2012). “Surface Default”, Light And Space Contemporary, Manila, Philippines (2013).

j i g g e r c r u z (b. 1984)

jigger cruz

/ man as a piece of metaphor

o i l o n wo o d e n f r a m e d c a n vas / 6 8 x 8 3 c m / 2 0 1 3

jigger cruz

/ mr green blue green

o i l o n wo o d e n f r a m e d c a n vas / 6 8 x 8 3 c m / 2 0 1 3

jigger cruz

/ wrap

o i l o n wo o d e n f r a m e d c a n vas / 6 8 x 8 3 c m / 2 0 1 3

Graduated from the Institute of Arts Indonesia, Yogyakarta with a Bachelor in Fine Arts, he received the Tujuh Bintang Gallery (Yogyakarta) Art Award, ‘The Dream’ The Power of the Dream in 2009. While being both actively participating in various group exhibitions and completing residencies in Fukouka Asian Art Museum (Japan) and taks u Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), he mounted solo exhibitions of “Floating Desires”, taks u Singapore, “The 12th Winds of Artist in Residence”, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in 2012 and “The Wax on Our Fingers” in Indonesian Contemporary Arts Network, Yogyakarta and also in Baba House, National University Singapore Museum, and finally, “Weaving Dreams in the Wind”, Community Wall, The Esplanade Singapore (2013).

b u d i a g u n g k u s w a r a (b. 1982)

b u d i ag u n g k u s wa r a

/ romantisme selat malaka

a c ry l i c o n c a n v a s / 2 0 0 x 2 5 0 c m / 2 0 1 3

b u d i ag u n g k u s wa r a

/ simulasi

a c ry l i c o n c a n v a s / 1 5 0 x 1 7 0 c m / 2 0 1 3

After completing a course in modern art painting in the Senior High School of Art, Denpasar, Palguna graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Indonesia Institue of Art, Yogyakarta. Of the many solo exhibitions he has mounted over the years from 2000 till present, some to mention are “Menggali Tulang” in Tembi Contemporary Art, Jogja (2010), “Revelation” Tony Raka Art Gallery, Bali, (2010) “Avowal” Bentara Budaya Jogjakarta (2011) and “The Isle of Bliss” LVS Gallery in Seoul (2012). Palguna furthered his growth in art with residencies such as “We art Together” (2011), Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, “Asia Pasifik Fellowship”, Korea National Museum of Art, Seoul, “Art under the Roof” Muong’s Cultural Museum Vietnams (2012).

i made palguna (b. 1976)

palguna

/ c row n o f b e au t y / 2 6 x 9 x 2 7 c m / b ro n z e / 2 0 1 3

palguna

/ m o r n i n g g l o ry / 1 5 x 1 7 x 1 9 c m / b r o n z e / 2 0 1 3

palguna

/ on the river of life

35 x 14 x 28 cm / bronze / 2013

Educated in Mensa Design School and graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM, Malaysia), Sabri has come a long way in the establishment of his art in numerous art exhibitions. Notably “The Search of the Uncertainties” The Painting Hall, Malaysia (1999), “Lorek-Lorek. The Creation of Lines” Townhouse Gallery, Malaysia, “Bangau Oh Bangau” Balai Berita nst, Malaysia (2004), “Keroncong Series: A New Form of Physical Listening” Wei-Ling Gallery, Malaysia (2006), “My Domain” Johor, Malaysia (2008), “In Transit.

Malaysia-Poland” Aula Gllery, Asp Poznan, Poland (2009), “Masa Series: A Reduction Process” taksu kl, Malaysia (2010), “Muafakat: Space for the Public” The Painting Garage, Bandung, Indonesia (2010), “Antara” taksu Singapore (2012).

sabri idrus (b. 1971)

sabri idrus

/ tinggalan

m i x e d m e d i a o n c a n vas / 2 2 9 x 1 7 8 c m / 2 0 1 3

sabri idrus

/ dried

m i x e d m e d i a o n c a n vas / 1 7 8 x 2 2 9 c m / 2 0 1 3

sabri idrus

/ after the rain

m i x e d m e d i a o n c a n vas 1 7 8 x 2 2 9 c m / 2 0 1 3

WATER A GROUP EXHIBITION

BY FOUR ARTISTS FROM THE ASIAN CONTINENT

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cover image; montage of Palguna / Invisible Water Budi Agung Kuswara / Bukan Lagu Lama Jigger Cruz / Flesh And Matters Sabri Idrus / Underground

SABRI IDRUS BUDI AGUNG KUSWARA JIGGER CRUZ I MADE PALGUNA

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