HOM Art Trans: UNNAMED By Bayu Utomo Radjikin

UNNAMED By Bayu Utomo Radjikin

As a recognised figurative painter in Malaysia, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, reveals his ongoing passions for medium and subject in his latest solo exhibition, Unnamed at House of Matahati. Through a signature style of epic realism and the Malay male protagonist Bayu continues to showcase his own carefully painted sense of dramatic physical theatre. Practising as an artist for nearly 20 years his career has focused on a diverse range of subject matter from public and personal identity through to social commentary and international political tensions.

Nevertheless, such diversity has been consistently mediated through meticulously executed, highly emotive human subjects. Unnamed presents Bayu’s recent work in painting and charcoal. The exhibition focuses once more on the artist and his friend in elaborate poses that explore the spectacle of male identity. It is this mastery of figurative composition and draughtsmanship that set the stage for a necessary consideration of how the technical aspect of his practice facilitates this particular style of painted mythology and heroism.

Unnamed presents expressions of the male body through a mature sense of Figurative Realism, a style that praises strong composition and accurate form along with the intangible, emotional qualities of human life. The technical mastery of replication along with the desire to transform the real to profoundly ‘speak’ without words has driven many artists to the point of obsession. Bayu’s own passionate use of the body and hands in his work mimics the methods of communication as a painter who uses his hands and mind to create new versions of reality.

These needs to express form through paint and the compelling mythologies that artists produce can be visually hypnotic and seductively dramatic. The aura that surrounds Bayu’s subjects and his position as the artist ‘creator’ have all led to the subsequent popularity and respect for his practice that continues to be one of the driving forces of technically advanced Figurative Realism in Malaysia today.

Artwork

Being

2010 / Mixed media on canvas / 100 x 100cm

Private collection

satu

2010 / Charcoal on paper / 115 x 150cm

Private collection

dua

2010 / Charcoal on nylon canvas / 230 x 166cm

Artist's collection

dua

2010 / Charcoal on nylon canvas / 230 x 166cm

Artist's collection

empat

2010 / Charcoal & acrylic on nylon canvas / 200 x 200cm

Collection of Steve & Rosemary Wong

lima

2010 / Charcoal & thread on nylon canvas / 200 x 200cm

Collection of Datuk Ir Rosaline Ganendra

enam

2010 / Charcoal & thread on nylon canvas / 123 x 213cm

Collection of Raja Ali Raja Othman

tujuh

2010 / Charcoal on nylon canvas / 110 x 110cm

Collection of Yee Tak Hong

lapan

2010 / Charcoal & thread on nylon canvas / 200 x 300cm

Artist's collection

sembilan

2010 / Charcoal & thread on nylon canvas / 166 x 245cm

Private collection

sepuluh

2010 / Charcoal on nylon canvas / 200 x 300cm

Private collection

sebelas

2010 / Acrylic on nylon canvas / 110 x 110cm

Private collection

duabelas

2010 / Acrylic on nylon canvas / 230x 166cm

Collection of Pakhruddin & Fatimah Sulaiman

tigabelas

2010 / Acrylic on nylon canvas / 200 x 400cm

Artist's collection

empatbelas

2010 / Acrylic on nylon canvas / 200 x 400cm

Artist's collection

Untitled 3

2010 / Charcoal on paper / 280 x 150cm

Collection of Syed Nabil Syed Naha

Adopted Residency (A-RES) is a six-month residency programme designed for young and emerging local artists to start creating their name and building their own career in the local art scene.

The programme emphasizes on committed studio practice that serves as guidance in art direction and technique for the resident artists, fully supervised by HOM Art Trans and guest artists. They will also be exposed to the reality of being a full time artists.

Towards the end of the programme, all the artworks that are produced during the residency will be exhibited for public viewing.

Southeast Asia Art Group Exchanged Residency (SAGER) is a regional residency programme organized by HOM Art Trans (Malaysia), SageJogja (Indonesia) and Projectspace Pilipinas (Philippines).

The exchanged residency takes in artists with at least five years of experience and SAGER enables Malaysian, Indonesian, and Filipino artists to foster and strengthen regional ties, as well as to network and establish a better understanding of their neighbours.

The residency entails 30-days each in Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta and Manila. During this time, artists-in-residences not only produce artworks for exhibitions in each city, but also partake in studio visits, gallery and art institution visits, as well as introductions to significant art collectors and art communities.

Aside from these physical dialogues, SAGER also fosters a visual dialogue, as artists from these three countries are encouraged to engage in cross-cultural meditations and to broach new visual languages in their works.

ARTRIANGLE is an exhibition showcasing the latest artworks from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore. With the purpose of increasing the appreciation of art in this region through a more open network of exchange and to further inculcate closer working ties amongst our artists, it aspires to energies a 4-way art dialogue between these countries and inadvertently, adds more excitement to the art scene in Southeast Asia.

ARTIANGLE is also a fund-raising event. Benefits from the sales of the exhibition will be channelled to the MATAHATI Art Fund (MAF).

MAF is an effort that provides funds to support visual artists and help the art scene in general. It will go towards assisting in the welfare of those artists in need, which includes incidences involving natural disasters, accidents and health issues. MAF is also used as a grant for artists to initiate art projects and art activities.

Artaidartist is a social media platform that’s purpose and intention is to introduce and market fine artworks in a series of virtual exhibitions. This platform was initiated in efforts to support artists who have been affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic, and who have struggled to make ends meet during the continuous implementation of MCO.

Artists whose works are sold will be entitled to fifty percent of the sale of their works, while the remaining fifty percent will be donated to participating artists whose works were not purchased during the showcase. The distribution of profit will not only represent a community of artists coming together in solidarity towards those in financial need, but will also provide support to as many artists as possible..

Artaidartist is an open call that involves all Malaysian visual artists, comprising of young, emerging, and established. Featuring some of their best work, all artworks will be capped between RM500 to RM5000. This special offer which is below the market price, will allow the sale to be more accessible and affordable to a larger pool of art enthusiasts and young collectors.

MEA Award is a biennial competition that honours the most promising young artists in Malaysia. Its main goal is to recognize the country's top emerging talents and to give them the opportunity to break into the local and international art scenes.

The 5 artists with the highest number of votes from a panel of respected juries will receive cash prize, coucher for art materials, 10-day travel grant to a city in Southeast Asia and a showcase of their works.

MEA Award is joint-organized by HOM Art Trans and Galeri Chandan.