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Lot Essay
From the most commonplace and quotidian of everyday little man-made objects, Handiwirman Sahputra creates simultaneously dramatic and understated paintings which have been hailed by critics and curators as new trajectories in still life painting. For this, the painter's works stand distinguished amongst peers in Indonesian contemporary art.
Painting without a particular concept in mind, Handiwirman Saputra explores his subject plainly through mental visualization. The form and shape of the objects he portrays defy regular compositions. In Merem - Tuturkarena series, he experiments with positioning his subjects in a variety of spatial arrangements to stimulate different reactions from his audiences - wonder, indifference, critical questioning. Having transformed an object into the flat picture surface, without real volume or depth, the painting evokes a certain visual perception of reality. Its form exudes enigma and is alluring by virtue of its state of fragility and preciousness. To the artist, it is as if objects in their situations were speaking, talking about something, just like human beings.
Painting without a particular concept in mind, Handiwirman Saputra explores his subject plainly through mental visualization. The form and shape of the objects he portrays defy regular compositions. In Merem - Tuturkarena series, he experiments with positioning his subjects in a variety of spatial arrangements to stimulate different reactions from his audiences - wonder, indifference, critical questioning. Having transformed an object into the flat picture surface, without real volume or depth, the painting evokes a certain visual perception of reality. Its form exudes enigma and is alluring by virtue of its state of fragility and preciousness. To the artist, it is as if objects in their situations were speaking, talking about something, just like human beings.