Painter breathes beauty into cardboard

I Wayan Juniartha ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Ubud   |  Thu, 07/03/2008 10:39 AM  |  Surfing Bali

In the hands of young Japanese painter Keiichi Baba, cardboard finds its new calling as the medium to capture the artist's longing for deeper understanding between men, an understanding that, in his own words, "needs no language or utterance".

Two arts lovers inspect HUMAN DIG: In the island of Gods, one of Keiichi Baba's work currently on display in Neka Art Museum, Bali. Several Balinese and overseas artists said they were impressed by the media Keiichi chose to use. (JP/I Wayan Juniartha)

Some 20 of Keiichi's works are currently on display in Ubud's Neka Art Museum (NAM), in an exhibit titled "HUMAN DIG: In the Island of Gods". The exhibition will run through July 3.

"NAM has a long history of cooperation with Japan," NAM founder Pande Wayan Sutedja Neka said at the exhibit's opening ceremony.

"In 1970, my father held an exhibition of Garuda statues in the Osaka Expo. Ever since then, NAM has been involved in several collaborative events with Japanese artists and the Japanese government."

Held in cooperation with the Asia Development Organization, a cultural institution which aims to strengthen Indonesia-Japan relations, the exhibition was officially opened Sunday by Eiichi Suzuki, the Japanese consul in Bali.

Several Balinese and overseas artists said they were impressed by the media Keiichi chose to use. In Bali, cardboard boxes are often discarded without an afterthought.

"This is from a box that television sets or refrigerators usually come in, isn't it?" a local painter asked his friend.

His friend nodded, clearly at a loss to understand how such an ordinary thing could be transformed into an esthetic object.

The amazement turned into respect when they realized Keiichi did not treat the cardboard as just a passive base upon which he imposed his compositions of colors and lines. On the contrary, the cardboard became an active tool of his esthetic expression, morphing from medium to an integral part of the overall message.

"It is quite fascinating the way he uses this medium. The techniques he employs are unmistakably European with the occasional influence from Japanese art," Peter Dittmar, a prominent painter, said.

In contrast to his soft-spoken and timid demeanor, Keiichi's creative process was very "savage" and bold. The cardboard was repeatedly pressed, punched, stabbed, ripped apart and sometimes slashed to achieve the appearance and illusion he wanted to create.

In some works, these "cruel" techniques were used to disguise the medium, to push them into the background and draw attention to the colors and compositions.

In other works, similar techniques were used to exploit the very nature of the cardboard -- their muscular construction and uniform geometric construction -- to reinforce Keiichi's esthetic visualization.

For instance, in his work "Run Through The Scars", shredded cardboard is juxtaposed on an image of a running man. The end effect is to enhance the illusion of movement.

Born in 1974 in Tokyo, Keiichi said he adopted the unique medium and techniques quite naturally.

"I started this way of creation naturally without any concept, but now I feel some meaning in the action," he said.

"Without using classical art techniques, I believe I can appeal to one's soul through my expression."

Keiichi Baba's work Unlimited Destination underlines the artist's longing for a deeper connection with humanity. (JP/I Wayan Juniartha)

The need to connect with other people's souls is the singular force driving Keiichi's esthetic exploration. His work "Unlimited Destination" is the best representation of that need.

"I believe the spiritual connection between each human being is the very thing that defines us," he said.

"This connection, this communication, needs no words, you don't have to speak, you will realize it instantly when you are connected to another human being on this deeper level."

On his techniques, particularly the "savage" ones, he explained destruction and creation were not inextricably linked but quite synonymous.

Sutedja Neka expressed similar sentiments, saying Keiichi's acceptance of the parallelism between destruction and creation was a sign the young artist had truly understood the essence of Balinese Hindu philosophy.

"Balinese Hinduism views life, and everything else for that matter, as a never-ending cycle of creation, sustenance and destruction," he said.

"In fact, all the works displayed here have captured that philosophy to varying degrees. Keiichi created these works during his stay in Bali. Apparently, this young aspiring artist has managed to comprehend the spirit of the island," Neka said.

He added the exhibit was part of NAM's program to promote young artists and contemporary arts in the island.

"NAM has a duty to foster the development of arts in Bali. Contemporary art will be the focus of our program," he said.

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