Ugo Untoro, Peziarah (Pilgrim), 2014, Oil on Canvas, 150 x 200 cm
In this new series of works, presented at Gajah Gallery from 23 January to 8 February 2015, Untoro places emphasis on the transcendence of art and celebrates heterogeneity, ecstatic and explosive energy in his work.
Ugo Untoro was born in 1970 in Purbalingga, Central Java, Indonesia, and graduated from the Indonesia Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta. He is representative of Indonesia’s late 1990s generation of painters. He does not only sketch and paint; he also creates installations, objects, videos and does other enriching art experiments with various media, including writing. His work is an excellent demonstation of how he releases himself from the limitations of conventional art.
He is an inspiration to many of the younger generations. Almost all of his artwork creation processes adhere to the law of “Panta Rei” – which states that everything flows. In his view, it is important to note that this “flow” is not fully driven by the “subconscious”. Known as the painter that paints with his emotion, Ugo deliberately and consciously creates his artworks in tune with a preselected theme. His signature style is raw and spontaneous, yet poetic, while expressing his personal view of the world in his work.
Ugo Untoro, Young Boy, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 150 x 200 cm
Ugo is also one of the artists who have brought contemporary Indonesian art to a new level. He has already been recognized across the archipelago for his strong personality and persistence in creating artworks that reflect the conditions of existence, both at the level of being an artist as well as a human being, showcasing Indonesian contemporary culture for what it is – turbulent, but also a pure and simple part of everyday reality. Over the past decade, Ugo Untoro’s works have encompassed an elaborate collection of paintings, drawings, poems and writings. He has also had more than 10 solo exhibitions in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Yogyakarta, Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya, and has participated in group exhibitions in USA, France, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. His entry to the Philip Morris Art Awards in 1998 was placed within the Best 5; and he was named Man of the Year in 2007 by Tempo Magazine, an Indonesian publication that covers current affairs and politics.
Exhibition: Ugo Untoro Solo Exhibition
Dates: The exhibition has been postponed to February. Please come back for the final dates.
Venue: Gajah Gallery, 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station, #01-08
Web: www.gajahgallery.com
