Chan Hampe Galleries presents Ada Apa Dengan Tengkorak (Translation: What’s with the skull?), an exhibition of new work by Malaysian artist Bayu Utomo Radjikin.
In his 2011 solo exhibition, Bayu considered contemporary male identity through the guise of the anonymous soldier, the artist’s new series returns to the more organic, earthbound, and uniquely individual facets of existence. Animal horn, a long-standing visual metaphor for male power and strength, factors prominently in most of the works, its twisted presence both beautiful and burdensome. Accordingly, to Bayu horn is symbolic of a king’s crown, an icon of not only pride and position, but responsibility as well. In this case, the responsibility of being virtuous in life; as horn or bone remain long after the body is destroyed, so do actions resonate beyond mortal life.
Currently a temporary resident of Australia, Bayu has been amazed by wide wild landscapes extending to infinity, hence the strong horizontal canvases. Working in both painting and charcoal, with these works Bayu extends his well-known skill at figurative realism into the realm of the surreal.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin (b. 1969) was born in Sabah, Malaysia. He studied at the University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree. With a diverse practice ranging from figurative painting to sculpture, his work focuses on public and personal identity, social commentary and international political tensions. Bayu has exhibited in the UK, Indonesia, Pakistan and has won several major Malaysian awards. His last solo exhibition Face Without Name took place at The Substation Gallery, Singapore in 2011.
A member of Malaysian artist collective MATAHATI and The F Klub, and now Director of HOM Art Trans, Bayu has sought to cultivate and promote contemporary talent from the region throughout his artistic career.
Venue: Chan Hampe Galleries, Raffles Hotel Arcade #01-21, 328 North Bridge Road
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 11am – 7pm. Admission is free.
Opening Night: Tuesday, February 10 2015, 7-9PM
When: 10 Feb - 8 Mar 2015,