iPRECIATION Hong Kong is delighted to present a group exhibition of five Indonesian artists whose works are surreal and thought-provoking. Artists include Budi Ubrux, Alfi Jumaldi, Edo Pop, Samsul Arifin and Riki Antoni. Except Budi Ubrux, who graduated from the Yogyakarta Visual Art School, the other four artists are graduates of Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta.

Budi Ubrux
Born in Semarang, Indonesia, Budi Ubrux is the Grand Prize Winner of the Philip Morris Indonesian Art Awards in 2000. His works are powerful in reflecting the political and social realities of our time, such as the ironic role of the media, conveyed through unique faceless figures mummified in newsprint. People wrapped in the newspapers are blocked from having freedom, devoid of human emotion, and disenfranchised of the individual. Though attending different social activities, engaging in a meeting, dinning out or attending a carnival, Budi’s figures are restrained by an authoritative society.

Alfi Jumaldi
Born in West Sumatra, Alfi Jumaldi’s works have been widely exhibited in Indonesia. Different from other contemporary Indonesian artists, Alfi’s works are not centered on political, social and economic issues, but are a quest for self- reflection. By using metaphorical symbols, Alfi’s paintings reveal his own inner struggles. The stones, though massive and strong, stand as a symbol to loneliness, conveying an isolated mind. The scattered writings, mantras and calligraphies represent both his subconscious and conscious. All these concepts mingled together, reflect the artist’s profound loneliness, and his desire for enlightenment.

Edo Pop
Born in South Sumatra, Edo Pop has held numerous exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad. His works strongly criticize consumerism and materialism. They also convey the artist’s views on gender issues, in particular the role of women in the society. By depicting distorted, eccentric, and estranged figures, Edo satirizes the prevalent effect of media in the society. At times a female character holds her head above her cartoonesque body, reflecting an absence of thought, as people adopt excessive, materialistic lifestyles; and are led astray by the advertising and information that surrounds them.

Samsul Arifin
Born in Malang, Indonesia, Samsul Arifin often employs artistic signifiers in various combinations to construct meanings in his creation. Samsul adopts Barbie dolls, a well-known icon of Western consumerism, in his series of paintings. The Barbie dolls are enlarged into life-sized figures and are accompanied by Asian characters in Western swimming trunks or with French champagne in hand, suggestive of the penetration by imported cultures. Samsul effectively manipulates object, colour, space and composition in his works to convey an integral visual text to the viewers.

Riki Antoni
Born in Padang, West Sumatra, Riki Antoni is adept in transferring meanings from animal proverbs into artistic languages in his works. With warped, vibrant depictions, Riki relays his country’s political and social realities through a humorous, cynical, and playful way. Every work seems to contain a story, revealing the dark side and the lighter aspect of ourselves. The animals of Riki’s world are acting as doppelgangers, depicted as sluggish, greedy, and fascinated by gold; yet some are contemplating, musing, or searching for solace. Either a political euphemism or a reflection of human nature, Riki’s paintings are a vigorous expression of self, probing viewers to realize the vulnerabilities that lie beneath a vibrant façade.