HYDRO-DYNAMIC Cultural Exchange and Local Wisdom Exploration Netok Sawiji_Rusnoto Susanto1
There is a belief that when someone has already stepped foot in, breathe the air of and drunk the water from a particular place, he/she has started to recognize how the culture and the people live in the area. The energy of the soil, air and water will grow and kinetically move all neurons in one’s body triggering his/her tissues to respond to the dynamics of their surroundings. Similarly, the work of culture follows the principle of hydro-dynamic. It constantly moves, pushes and penetrates all space through its unpredictable force. Cultural activity has been situated in this particular context, challenges and problems from time to time. As culture comes from a divine awareness of human dignity, human beings are constantly improving and maximizing their intellectual potential and spiritual awareness and exploit them to find new identities. Exploration of culture through the awareness of local wisdom stirs the wave of foreign culture entering one country and contributes to the practice of acculturation. It is a practice where the flow of culture from different parts of the world collides with the life of the people. Cultural conversation makes possible through exchange programs involving students, artists, athletes or scientists from different countries promotes values and local genius as cultural potential of the community in each country. In this exhibition, Nafas Residency Yogyakarta and Chandan Gallery Kuala Lumpur in cooperation with Museum and Gallery Tuanku Fauziah manifest the spirit of cultural exchange with local wisdom exploration in empowering the concept of Hydro-dynamic. Chandan Gallery and Nafas Residency through cycle #1 and cycle #2 residence program sent a group of Malaysian artists (Anisa Abdulah, Anissa Azis, Hirzaq Harris, Shahrul Hisham, Ruzzeki Harris, Mariana Saleh, and Muhammad Syahbandi bin Samat) to Yogyakarta to do research and workshop with participants from Yogyakarta (Imam Santoso, Mulyo Gunarso, Dona Prawista Arissuta, and Anton Subiyakto). This one month program includes visit to the studios of local artists, curator talk (with Kuss Indarto, Sujud Dartanto, Rusnoto Susanto, and Suwarno Wisetrotomo) and visits to art galleries and cultural, historical and pre-historic sites in the province including Taman Sari, 1
Writer is Independent Curator, Visual Artist, Ph.D. candidate at Doctoral Program of ISI (Indonesian Institute of Art) and Fine Art Lecturer at UST Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta Palace, Borobudur, Prambanan, Boko and various museums. The residence artists also had a chance to visit various art space including Langgeng Art Foundation, Sangkring Art Space, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Jogja Gallery, Oei Hong Djien Museum and Cemeti Art House. Nafas Residency Yogyakarta also sent one artist (Rocka Radipa) and one curator (Rusnoto Susanto) to Malaysia for one month to do research in cooperation with Kebun Rupa at Museum and Gallery Tuanku Fauziah (MGTF) Universiti Sains Malaysia. The residence artist and curator had a chance to explore important sites from Penang to Langkawi Island. In Penang, we were facilitated by Professor Hasnul Jamal Saidon, a new media artist, expert of electronic art and professor of New Media Art at USM and Director of Museum and Gallery Tuanku Fauziah. During the month, we visited studios, MGTF, and Georgetown (UNESCO heritage). We also had a chance to climb Tanjung Bahang Hill, experience tracking through Feringhi and sailing down Kilim Geoforest Park in Langkawi. Throughout the trip, we always have a wonderful discussion on art, philosophy, cross culture, semiotics, new media art, cyber culture and critical theory. We also visited historical sites including Lembah Bujang, Menson Peranakan Penang, Masjid Jameek and other important sites in Penang Island. Aside from the research, the program also facilitated artist talk in a form of public lecture and academic seminars in different campuses including in final semester lecture at New Media Art, Fakulti Seni Halus (Faculty of Fine Art), USM, Penang, in Fakulti Seni dan Rekabentuk (Faculty of Art and Design), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perak, and in Fakulti Seni (Faculty of Art), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Tanjung Malim, Perak. The residency results a number of art works exhibited at Langgeng Art Foundation, Yogyakarta and Chandan Gallery Kuala Lumpur. Their works are testament of how they interact with the culture they encountered during residency. The residence often find similarities in terms of culture, behavior, lifestyle and spirit in both places as the two countries are experiencing somewhat parallel changes in the context of urban culture. 1. Urban Culture Mainstream and Its Challenges In the time when urban culture penetrates every corner of major cities it world, it systematically turn the society into groups of hybrid, crowded, individualistic and materialistic communities with dynamic imagery of lifestyle as their distinctive quality. City dwellers living on a fast lane represent themselves with rapid change in fashion, skeptical gestures and busy schedules colliding with pollution coming from the smoke of different vehicle and screaming horn. People no longer bother to exchange courtesies and there is also a wave of the new that is immediately becoming the contemporary ideals that move beyond post-humanism. Major cultural and physical
changes become an interesting subject matter. There are many artists in the world explore the subject matter as a form of critique as well celebration of the spirit of an era. ANISA ABDULLAH Anisa Abdullah or ‘Arab’ (to address her with her friendly nickname) achieved her Bachelor (Hons.) of Fine Art, majoring in painting from UiTM Shah Alam Malaysia. Anisa is the recipient of Selangor Incentive award, Open Show Shah Alam, Shah Alam Gallery in Art Competition, Open Show, Shah Alam Gallery, Shah Alam, Selangor 2009. She was born I Poland Warsaw, and has been following her parents who works in Malaysian Embassy to travel around the world ever since she was a child. Having been raised in different countries in the world allows her to see big cities with their distinct urban culture. Now, Anisa lives in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur; a place no less urban than those she has visited in the past. In Ampang, she was raised and exposed to a crowded metropolitan with its industrious and hard working community complete with fast moving vehicles. During her residency in Yogyakarta, Anisa gained insights from her close observation on culture and specific activities of the people of multicultural Yogyakarta. She uses her observation as inspiration for her creative works with colleagues from Indonesia in a studio workshop. It is undeniable for her that the landscape of the city of Yogyakarta that is so open to urban culture is an inexhaustible subject matter triggering her creative vision. In my interview with her via social media chat, she said, “I see and paint what is visible, capturing interesting and unique places and culture. The people there inspire me to work.” Anisa is highly interested in the people of Yogyakarta and their activities. She is intrigued with the attributes, properties, fashion and hospitality of the city which embodies priceless cultural capital and instills creative energy influencing her work as an artist. My first impression when looking at her works was that they are so masculine. It comes to my surprise that these works are actually created by a young woman. Later, when I went to Kuala Lumpur to see her works in gallery and studio, I was amazed by the fact that these masculine paintings are created by an Arabic descent woman wearing hijab. My astonishment comes from me not knowing and from me being “prejudiced” that someone behind such paintings must be a macho smoker and coffee drinker who wears tattoo and dreadlocks and Anisa is a complete opposite. The work of Anisa Abdullah for instance ‘Coffee break,’ 181,5 x 121 cm, Collage on Canvas, 2012, is a depiction of the behavior of urban people through exploration of daily life she observed in her own environment and in many other environments including those of big cities she has visited including Yogyakarta. Walking through the city of Yogyakarta, she passed stores, colonial buildings
and cafĂŠs offering a distinct night life unique to the city and found insights from the subjects connected her memories to other urban cities she met throughout her life. Yogyakarta is nevertheless unique with its culture and hospitality. She transformed the dynamics of the city to her virtual spaces and canvas. She is imagining a break from the city frenzy; a stop for coffee and small chat with loved ones. Sometimes life is taking us away from things that really matters, those who are the closets to us. She was astounded by the corners of Yogyakarta when she immediately drew a sketch of becak (pedicab). Let us all sit back, relax, breathe and respect. “We shall not forget small things in life that can really bring us joy,â€? said Anisa. ANTON SUBIYANTO Anton Subiyanto was born in Yogyakarta, September 29, 1980. He has ever attended ISI (Indonesian Institute of Art) Yogyakarta, majoring in Fine Art. A member of Taring Padi, he explores drawing technique as his language of expression. Drawing specifically becomes an important part in the background of his works and sometimes it appears at the front ground to create shocking effect. There are three important concepts presented by Anton Subiyanto through exploration of body language, visual, sound, music and other performance art properties and they are apathy, touristic, and neighborly. Apathy is often reffered to in psychology as a term to explain an ignorance, in which an invidual does not respond emotional, social, and physical stimulation in life. Performance art concept initiated by Anton Subiyanto tries to present a subjective statement with a certain distance from a particular subject through details growing from references on specific problems. The presentation generates contrasts and frictions both personal and social which reduce emotional sensitivity, tolerance, and enthusiasm in observing social symptoms/phenomenon and their challenges. Apathy which builds walls and creates distance is a manifestation of social frustration leading to degradation of social sensitivity, producing ignorance and willingness to see problems closer. Touristic is a fragmentation of experience of Anton Subiyanto towards individual relationship with something foreign within a limited space and an astonishment that moves beyond identifications; a bewilderment drawing a person in a limited social construction on a contrastive panoramic landscape that is trivial. This attitude works in a way that logic can immediately be replaced with amazement which falls under our retinal helplessness in responding to high speed blitz of the camera while it captures visual symptoms as aesthetic moments in a matter of seconds. This analogy does not fully represent touristic and its challenges in social context. However, this detail is
the highlight of artistic exploration of Anton Subiyanto in both his two dimensional works and performance art project. Neighborly articulates the importance of building the concept and philosophy of living together in the community that can also be extended to the idea of living together as family. It is a social construction gradually losing its spirit in the process of social interaction, existence building and self actualization as well as community actualization. It is a privilege if we can live in a neighborly community with kind individuals surrounding us. It is also very unfortunate if we are living in a neighborhood of conflicts and prejudices. We have to then try our best to release ourselves from such situation by developing tolerance, respect and selfless kindness to our neighbors. At the final session of the talk, Anton Subiyanto said that performance art to him is similar to drawing. It is a process of expressing visual ideas through exploration of the essence of lines that he has highlighted in his two dimensional works which reflects his existential exploration and eagerness to find his dreams in a social reality as outline. To me, this statement draw a clear line between his dreams and artistic process which represent outline as something essential to communicate mystery and uncertainties of his social narration. DONA PRAWITA ARISSUTA Dona was born in Sleman, Yogyakarta, June 8, 1976. She was graduated from ISI (Indonesian Institute of Art) Yogyakarta, majoring in Ceramics in 2005 and earned her master from Religious and Cultural Studies Program, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta (2011). Dona is the finalists of Nokia Award Regional 2001, Favorite Jury, Kedawung Glassware Print design competition Award 2002, and finalist of Young Sculpture Competition ICC Pandaan 2010. Dona expressed herself through exploration of various media while maintaining the basic of the art of ceramics in her two and three dimensional works. Dona is confidence that ceramics can be adapted into two dimensional works by exploring daily issues like and presenting simple objects like household utensils, flowers, park, house and potteries. By highlighting the role of women in daily life (cooking, raising children, earning living, giving birth), she is confidence that her work can act as a space of memory and reminiscence of a person. She believes that her theme is timeless as it is the basis of tradition that can hardly be conquered by time and changes due to its dynamics and adaptability. For her project in this residency, Dona always includes ceramics in her canvas and paints on the surface of ceramics. Currently, she focuses on expanding her perspective on the daily activities of migrant workers especially those working as domestic helper. Her interest in migrant workers grows
from her concern in the fact that these workers lie at the bottom of the pyramid of labor; experiencing hardship beyond all kinds of labor. In addition to such demanding works, these workers are also exposed by higher risks. Dona said that domestic works like cooking, taking care of children, cleaning the house and other works seem simple but the workers are vulnerable to violence both physical and psychological. 24 hours are never enough to finish household works. Each breathe they take reveals terror of time upon them. Dona presented this experience through a black and white wall clock (presented in a form of square, circle, oval, stretch) on a red background which expresses certainty and uncertainty of divided time terrorizing women migrant workers. Through her work, she is criticizing the domination of capital in daily life. Red color articulates stories of terror, violence and helplessness of these women. 2. Stream in the depth of Post-Hybridity Anissa Azis, Mohamad Hirzaq Bin Abdul Harris (Hirzaq Harris), Mulyo Gunarso, and Ruzzeqi Harris explore post-hybridity as the way to move our consciousness closer to the subject. There is a stream of awareness towards challenges faced by the environment, problems in social behavior, and cultural changes that are moving so fast to discover hybrid patterns. ANISSA AZIS Anissa Binti Abdul Aziz is a young contemporary artist of Malaysia who was born in July 13, 1984 in Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. She is one the few young artists with bright future. She earned her Master of Art & Design (Fine Art & Technology) in 2011 from Department of Post Graduate Studies, Faculty of Art & Design Universiti Teknologi MARA, Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Back in 2007, she has earned a Bachelor of Fine Art with Honors (Sculpture) Faculty of Art and Design Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. Anissa is a finalist of MALAYSIAN EMERGING ARTIST AWARD (MEAA) 2009, Kuala Lumpur and she is also a recipient of 1 st PRICE – CATEGORY MIXED MEDIA, Tanjong Heritage 2006: KL/Selangor Art Competition by Tanjong Public Limited Company. Anissa Aziz is inspired by the closeness of her family to manufactured fabrics and she expresses them through a unique visual. During my interview with her in Kuala Lumpur on the second week of December, she described her familiarity with her object of expression; manufactured fabrics. Ever since she was a child, she has already been familiar with them as her parents work as tailors. She is intrigued with colors, fibers, cutting and various characteristics of fabrics. It leads her
to work with fabrics in her art ever since she was still in the university. Fabrics have become an important part of her studies and art projects focusing on installation. Art work is her medium of expression and imagination. She works with any type of fabrics that can represent and construct her creative ideas and help her to articulate her anxiety on human behavior as representation of a perishable life. All appears organically in the simplicity of critical thinking. Her work explores problems growing in harmonious yet dynamic social life. In her creative process, Anissa uses fabrics to express her feelings, anxiety, expectations and critical point of view of life. She transforms fabric as the main medium of her work into a complex work of art which has delicacies built through the use of baby clothing fabrics, batik, button, canvas, net and other types of fabrics. This is her way to address social problems and construct them into something hybrid. HIRZAQ HARRIS Mohamad Hirzaq Bin Abdul Harris (Hirzaq Harris) earned his B.A.(Hons) in Fine Art, Faculty of Art & Design, UiTM Shah Alam. He also earned art education earlier when he was studying in Diploma of Fine Art, Faculty of Art & Design, UiTM Melaka SekMenKeb Tunku Besar Burhanuddin, Bandar Diraja Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia. Hirzaq Harris wants to firmly express his point of view on corruption which causes despair and moral decadence leading to a destruction of a nation. He also believes that humanistic and religious awareness can prevent corruption. Harris explores social problems in works like ‘Khilaf yang tidak disadari’ (Unconscious blunder), 158cm x 53cm x 78cm, Mixed media on canvas, 2012. He chose blunder as his point of departure by presenting a visual of pig in the work. Pig is usually considered as dirty and disgusting by Malay Muslims. Hence, his presentation is aimed to build awareness and invite contemplation on the act of corruption. Through the metaphor of pig and dog, Harris made a statement that it is forbidden to touch let alone eating “them.” MULYO GUNARSO An alumnus of Fine Art of ISI (Indonesian Institute of Art) Yogyakarta, 2006, Gunarso is a finalist of Jakarta Art Award, Colors of Jakarta in 2008 and finalist of UOB Painting of The Year in 2011. Mulyo Gunarso is very interested in environmental problems and the impact of human behavior towards ecosystem. He portrayed an irony between common idealization of natural beauty and harmony with nature as well as the eagerness of many around the world to save the environment
and how people slaughter animals that are supposed to be protected and cutting trees including in conservation areas. Forests are exploited without a significant effort of conservation. In his work ‘Yang Terbakar’ (the burnt one), 130x150cm, Acrylic on canvas, 2012, he told a story of a living space devastated by fire through a bird nest flying between molted trees at a dry and pale climate. The burning bird nest manifests a living space disrupted by brutal destruction. Dried and molted trees combined with grey clouds portray a destroyed nature and severe pollution. He also proposes similar critic through his work ‘Green Limit’, 130x150cm, Acrylic on canvas, 2012. This work represents a fragmented destroyed forest with a distant and limited green area at the background. On the edge of red soil lies rocks and woods; most of them are the remains of the ruthless cutting of the trees. This is how Mulyo Gunarso conveys his critic towards the exploitation of the forest, drainage and green area to open housings without considering environmentally friendly planning. RUZZEQI HARRIS Ruzzeqi Harris was born in Penang, August 25, 1984. He earned his degree from Fine Art Education, majoring in painting from UiTM Seri Iskandar Shah Alam, Malaysia. Ruzzeki was also a lecturer of Art and Design, program on the Art Fundamental subject including Basic Drawing and Element and Principle of Design di UiTM, but now he concentrates more on working on his art instead of teaching. Harris believed that teaching and working as an artist simultaneously has taught me to be patient and more tolerant. In 2009, he became one of the 50 finalists of 2009 MEA Award, Kuala Lumpur and he was a 3rd prize winner of 2007 ‘Salon Meets Art’ competition, by Swarzkopf, Elle Six gallery Kuala Lumpur. Harris is highly interested in the creation of contemporary painting and exploration of new media. His interest in masculine subjects is reflected in his painting ‘The Freak show’, 213 x 157cm Acrylic & oil on canvas, 2011, where there is a figure of muscular man wearing orange lipstick and orange polka dot underwear posing in front of black rose petals with stylization of grey flowers as the background. One of the intriguing points is the presence of a gun with front side bended down passing the genital area. This work gives an impression of ambiguity of contemporary manhood and represents a critique towards metrosexual male who are very fashionable, mostly muscular, adoring their body, and spreading the aroma of branded perfume while sending their sweetest smile; charming men. The bended gun indicates ‘okay or top’ that is usually represented by giving thumbs up but in this
painting the sign is immediately replaced by thumbs down. This is a body language indicating something that may look okay can turn otherwise. It is how Harris interpret metrosexual male; an athletic, fashionable, clear skinned, fragrant men that have a problem of sexual identity covered under their masculinity. Masculinity may not always be contrasted with femininity, they can also collide. 3. Stream of Local Genius and Eclectic Image Rocka Radipa, Imam Santoso, Mohd Shahrul Hisham B. Tarmizi, Muhammad Syahbandi Bin Samat, and Mariana Mt. Saleh explore various local patterns as the spirit of their creative process. Aside from investigating aspects from their own cultural background, they also open up possibility for eclectic visual presentation. The collision between the two aspects is distinct as not many artists can explore such creative space. ROCKA RADIPA Rocka Radipa was born in Paninggaran, March 22, 1976. He inherited the spirit of his ancestors as Javanese influencing his work as an artist. In his creative process, this alumnus of Visual Communication and Design, Institute or Art Indonesia, Yogyakarta, investigates the detail of Javanese culture embedded in the life of some communities. He is very eager in his research to build his artistic concept. He was patiently observing Mas Miyanto (a keris case craftsman from Imogiri), a wedding make up artist locally referred to as ‘tukang paes manten’, and an old hoodlum. His meetings with these people, inspires a starlet work triggered by fire balls appear during the process of the work of the keris case craftsman. Rain of Gold is inspired by a popular Javanese term “udan emas” which literary means rain of gold. Rocka explores subject that is most endearing to him which is a sustainable project in a series. His projects started with a search for cultural signifiers, visual style and media of expression. He then turned into his inner self to reflect his culture and surroundings. Similar to trend, the contexts of cross culture, assimilation, degradation and extinction are also embedded in culture. Rocka believes that understanding the output of culture also means understanding its creators and their way of thinking, vision, habit and personality. Hence, creative process for is some kind of laboratory, a learning space, a research, a dialogue and also a play with cultural actors to find and construct “the meaning of culture.” His creative inspiration put forward local aspects with contemporary and eclectic visual.
Something that he found, altered, lampooned or distorted is constructed into a new harmony. Although he limits the number of cultural actors he works with but he does not limit his interaction with people. He believes that common people both living a traditional and modern lifestyle including keris craftsmen, herbal drink (jamu) sellers, soy bean cake (tempe) and gudeg (a Yogyakarta’s signature dish made out of sweetened jack fruit) sellers, Dangdut singer, politicians, entrepreneurs, doctors, bikers, dancers, DJs, or even pimps are all cultural actors influencing the era. There are several interesting points that I observed during our residency in Penang including our meeting with an archeologist-astronomer, a psychic who paints, and Uncle Soon, a street musician in George Town. Rocka Radipa turned melancholic in the working space of the young astronomer, Nurul Fatini Fajar. He learned through his involvement in Fatini’s outreach program. Witnessing children learning about solar system, planet, and galaxy through making water balloon and using rainbow maker machine, drew him even closer to her activities and inspires him to work on a comic book about a mission of a group of children to search for the edge of rainbow. I bundle these pages of etching into a story book. One afternoon in an old city, we met a street painter showing unique and mysterious pictures. Intensive research led us to meet Kakek Huma, the psychic in the center of George Town Penang at a small field selling used goods. According to Prof. Hasnul and Mr. Nazli, this place is a flea market selling used goods or sometimes stolen goods. There are many vintage CDs, clothing, dining ware, and radio cassette sold. But, the one attracted Rocka the most is the Chinese psychic speaking in Malay and Chinese dialects, wearing dreadlocks and performing like a true actor. This 86 years old man is definitely hard to ignore in the lines of used goods sellers and painters selling pictures with mystical imagery. At our special meeting with the psychic, we observed his paintings that mostly tell stories about supernatural beings like ghosts and spirits. He also talked about the meaning of life, religion, and God’s willing upon His creations as well as more absurd stories about the ghost of a prostitute, ghost of the bridge, UFO, ant ghost, and other stories. His paintings are naïve but it leaves lines with strong character. Rocka finally worked on the experience as inspiration in creating optic art to translate his spontaneous jam session with the psychic. In his work, Rocka presents few essences of life: black-white, good-bad, devil-angel, old-young, time-space, and reality-absurdity.
At the end of our research in Penang Island, Rocka met Uncle Soon, a street musician, and jamming through some Chinese art shops in George Town. Rocka sees Uncle Soon as a simple warm personality living his life vivaciously. Although his not that skillful musically, but he plays music as a manifestation of his submission in branding himself as musician. It is something natural, simple, raw and sometimes random. It gives Rocka an idea to create musical instrument related to movement. The instrument is played using hand gesture sensor. It is called Deftone. I have not been able to describe it clearly because it is an ongoing work. However, I can firmly say that all of his works appear organically based on what he sees in life. It is the things that are missing from naked by but are able to create aesthetic moment to instigate the birth of inspirational art works. IMAM SANTOSO Imam earned his Bachelor of Fine Art, Majoring in Painting, from Indonesian Institute of Art Yogyakarta and he was one of finalist of UOB Painting of the Year 2011. Observing the works of Iman Santoso, we can see clearly that he is trying to portray the behavior of some members of the community in his eagerness to explore human’s potential to survive and find their existence as self and as community and how people enjoy the true comfort of life. Sometimes he also explores the local wisdom of Java as an important part in approaching his subject matter as reflected in the work ‘Wait For Me!!’, Acrylic on Canvas, 130x 110 (3 panel) 2012. The front line soldiers of the palace marching in celebrations and ceremonies have also been inspiring to him. At glance, there is nothing special about soldiers wearing complete attributes in rituals dedicated to preserve the culture and tradition of Yogyakarta Palace. It is also commonly understood that these rituals are a part of tourist attractions and cultural heritage. However, Imam sees the other side of these soldiers through observation of the fact that most of them are old and coming from various backgrounds. Imam questions regeneration and the interest of younger generation to participate in preserving the culture that has become one of the icons of Yogyakarta. MOHD SHAHRUL HISHAM B. TARMIZI Mohd Shahrul Hisham B. Tarmizi is currently enrolled in Master of Fine Art Technology at Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor. He initially earned his Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons) Major in Painting and Minor in Printmaking ion 2008 and Diploma of Art and Design (Fine Art) in 2006 from Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, Machang, Kelantan. In his daily life,
Shahrul is known as an expressive young artist passionate to explore his potential through various media of art. He also focuses on graphic and animation projects. One year ago, when I was visiting his workshop at Nafas, he was busy repeating concept of work in proximity to Javanese culture especially Yogyakarta. It is as if he is performing drama in a classic performance space on the altar of Yogyakarta’s palace. The construction of the landscape of Mount Merapi and other hills surrounding Yogyakarta has also been an important part of his ideas. He portrays them as impressively lonely and old. Sometimes, in his repetitive series, he adds a red line in a form of rectangle, triangle or circle. His visual vision about rectangle is a system of convention of the altar made with the format of compass points (north, west, south and east), and pyramid in the concept of Javanese cosmology representing relationship with the divine. This work is then repeated regularly, as in the concept of animation, with additional icons in each part as an effort of presenting cultural metaphor. This way, Shahrul may contemplate on the atmosphere of the heritage of Yogyakarta on the other hand he might present his works as a critique on the reduction of Javanese spirit in preserving the culture in global cultural arena. MUHAMMAD SYAHBANDI BIN SAMAT Syahbandi was born in Kuching, Sarawak, April 20, 1990. He was graduated from Kebangsaan High School Bukit Bandaraya Malaysia. Bandi is interested in drawing on canvas and he independently studied the technique and worked on such art. Most of his works are inspired by folktales, fairy tales, poetry and beliefs. Half year through his career in fine art, he won Malaysian Emerging Artist Award in 2011. Bandi has a distinct quality in his works. The madness in his technique is not the only qualities he has. He is also visiting non mainstream subject matter. His technical skill support his visual concept which requires intuitive sharpness and over the top artistic achievement. Bandi in his creative work relies on ballpoint as medium to express his idea on canvass. Visually, the object of his paintings is technically impossible to be expressed by using ballpoint. His intricate skills in painting enable him to express his objects realistically. These skills are further explored by Bandi to represent bizarre and terrifying themes. Just take a closer look at his painting entitled ‘I think i'm not made of wood huh’, ballpoint pen on canvas, 136 x 106 cm, 2011. Here, Bandi portrayed human beings looking pale with frustrated eyelids darken by bruises hit by a blunt object. A blood stain colors the mouth and both hands of the man slicing the skin of the
chick with a cutter knife until the skin is peeled and blood is running. Through this painting, Bandi would like to portray a society frustrated with their personal and social identity. He echoes popular belief of a tendency of the community becoming more masochistic which means that happiness is achieved through self torture in order to affirm identity. MARIANA SALEH Mariana was born in Pahang, Malaysia in 1976. She was graduated from diploma program of graphic design at Art Direction School of Art and Design, Kula Lumpur. She is an artist and also a mother of two children, Fatihah Hana (11) dan Alif Imran (5). Her role as mother and artist inspires her art works. Her residency in Yogyakarta is her turning point as it marks her return to the art after spending sometimes away. The style of her paintings is na誰ve-realist inspired by figures of children. 2012 was an important year for Mariana. This year, she was not only completing her solo exhibition in July in Kuala Lumpur but also had a chance to participate in residency program in Yogyakarta. She is intrigued by the pattern of batik and other crafts in Yogyakarta. However, we can see that the figures in her paintings wearing clothes with very minimum details. The details she found during her residency inspire her to find silent deep in her contemplation on life and its challenges. Mariana is the only artist completing her residency by bringing her two children to Nafas Residency Yogyakarta. Technically, her first child took care of her younger brother while their mom was working, participating in workshop, or conducting other activities related to her creative process. Sometimes, it is just the two of them staying at the office of Nafas. They are very enthusiastic in every situation. This is what inspired Mariana to reinterpret the meaning of family and togetherness in her works.