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Ugo Untoro confronts dark past in tribute to mother

Artist Ugo Untoro pays tribute to the most important woman in his life after winning his battle against his toxic inner demons.

A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post)
Depok
Tue, April 10, 2018

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Ugo Untoro confronts dark past in tribute to mother Absorbed: Visitors read Ugo’s comic book, marang ibu. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

Ugo Untoro has forgotten his mother’s age but believes she is in her sixties.

Living in Yogyakarta, the painter has routinely gone home once a month to meet her in Purbalingga, Central Java, after his father passed away four years ago. 

For him, each reunion with his mother is like stepping into a time machine, taking him back to his childhood. Understanding how much he enjoyed drawing, she was never angry with him for sketching on the walls or the floor when he was little.   

“My mother would also comfort me after my father scolded me for my bad grades. I did not like going to school because I was lazy,” Ugo said. 

To pay tribute to his mother, the 47-year-old artist is holding an exhibition entitled marang ibu (For Mother) from March 23 to April 22 at Galerikertas at Studiohanafi in Depok, West Java.  

“The word Ibu can also refers to the soil, the earth or the home,” he said. 

For children who travel thousands of miles to other cities or other countries to either pursue a career or continue their studies, the exhibition aimed to remind them of their mothers and their motherland, Ugo said.  

He is now working on a comic book called marang ibu, which tells the story of a girl named Sri who longs to go home to meet her biological parents but does not know who and where they are. 

Sketching a story: In his comic book, marang ibu, Ugo combines his skills in sketching and writing.
Sketching a story: In his comic book, marang ibu, Ugo combines his skills in sketching and writing. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

The book is still a rough draft and unfinished, but its first 24 pages are on display at the exhibition at Galerikertas. Displayed in glass frames, they show that Ugo’s skills are not limited to sketching, but extend to writing. 

Unlike other artists who seek perfection from their work, Ugo does not care about letting his audience see his mistakes, which are there for all to see on the page.   

In another room, Ugo displays 149 untitled sketches. He lets visitors touch them but they must wear gloves to prevent damaging the works, which are delicate and produced on recycled paper.

These sketches are very simple, but are suited for adult viewing only, as most depict naked women. For Ugo, nudity represents freedom, openness and honesty.

“This is who I am. I have nothing to hide or to pretend about,” he said.

However, Ugo does not mind if his sketches are interpreted as erotic.   

Having held 15 solo exhibitions and participated in 101 group exhibitions at home and abroad since 1995, Ugo says that his artworks are inspired by love, women and family. 

A tall, tattooed man with dark skin, Ugo admits that his ice-cold appearance often makes people scared of him or gives people the wrong impression.

“I don’t feel macho because I have many feminine sides to me. I am a mellow, romantic man,” said the fan of musician Ebiet G. Ade’s ballads.

Artist Ugo Untoro pays tribute to the most important woman in his life after winning his battle against his toxic inner demons.
Artist Ugo Untoro pays tribute to the most important woman in his life after winning his battle against his toxic inner demons. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

For Ugo, tattoos are also artworks. He has never counted his tattoos, but his first is named after his first girlfriend in high school. He believes his passion for art comes from his father, an elementary school teacher who was also an artist in Purbalingga.    

“My father liked to make puppets. I didn’t want to go to school if he did not give me drawings,” he said. 

Ugo recalled that after graduating from high school, he actually did not want to continue his studies.

However, he changed his mind after learning about Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta’s student admission.  

Ugo was surprised when the prestigious art school accepted him in 1988 because he thought he was too lazy and not good enough. He took up a major in painting and graduated eight years later.

“I completed my studies for my father because he really wanted me to have a university degree,” he said.    

At his graduation, Ugo was happy because he had realized one of his father’s wishes. However, Ugo still carries a deep regret about not showing the best version of himself to his father before the latter passed away. 

“I was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 25 years,” he said, adding that during that time, it was hard to leave drugs behind because they helped boost his imagination while he was working.   

“I overdosed many times and almost committed suicide twice,” he said.

His parents did many things to help him overcome his addiction, from seeking the help of clerics at Islamic boarding schools to rehabilitation at a mental hospital. However, all their efforts failed.

Young fan: A boy looks at Ugo's artwork origami mi mi.
Young fan: A boy looks at Ugo's artwork origami mi mi. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

Ugo managed to overcome his addiction to alcohol and drugs after he took up yoga and finally had the will to commit to getting better. After he started living life to the fullest again, he planned to tell the good news to his father. But, he did not make it in time.

“I wanted to show off, but I was too late,” he said.

“So, my father never knew I had recovered.”    

In addition to his mother, Ugo also shares a close relationship with his two sons. As part of the marang ibu exhibition, he displays a work of origami-like crumbled paper titled origami mi mi, for which he teamed up with his eldest son, who suffers from down-syndrome, to create.   

When Ugo’s son was still small, he was unable to fold paper into decorative shapes because of his low muscle tone. Rather than forcing him to follow the guidelines, Ugo asked him to squeeze the paper with all his strength. 

For the artist, the crumpled papers are artwork.

“They contain perseverance, imagination and patience,” he said. 

Ugo hopes that younger aspiring artists will have the courage to be different, unique and critical.

“An artwork is beautiful if it comes from deep within your heart,” he said.

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