But for Malang-born artist Dias Prabu, no one is more inspiring than his voluptuous girlfriend. Her plus-sized figure was the central theme of 13 works of art displayed at his debut solo exhibition, aptly titled “So Fat So Good”.

“I find my girlfriend’s full-figured body very attractive. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a kindhearted and loyal partner too. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her, as she has been my rock throughout the process,” said the 24-year-old artist about his girlfriend. 

Prabu explained that his exhibition was intended to defy the negative stereotype that comes with plus-sized people such as laziness and greed.

The majority of his works depict happy and content plus-sized figures, along with cheeky social criticism, irony and humor.

It was as if Prabu wanted to tell the world about a little known fact that many plus-sized people are actually comfortable in their own skin.

“I am baffled by the popular depiction of plus-sized people in society. Through this exhibition, I want to highlight the positive qualities of my subjects, particularly their lovable personalities and great sense of humor. However, there are some works in which I tried to capture other emotions such as sadness and cynicism,” he shared.

Body image is indeed a theme that has personal relevance for the artist, as he was once “a chubby guy” and so was his mother. But his ability to turn such a delicate issue into a series of thoughtful yet pleasurable artworks is noteworthy. 

Ano-ther significant point about his collection is that he seemed to be able to capture the most fundamental feelings through an intuitive use of colors, shapes and proportions.

He explained that the emotions of the subjects influenced the choice of colors; gloomy colors represented sadness while vivid colors happiness. But the overall color scheme was opaque, with a burst of bold colors here and there, perhaps a testament to the artist’s unsettling emotion due to the prevailing negative perceptions of plus-sized people in society.

To achieve such a rich composition, Prabu applied acrylic paint, spray paint and automotive paint to various mediums from normal canvas to luggage and a neon box. His curious choice of mediums derived from his background — he started off as a graffiti and mural artist in Malang and
Yogyakarta. 

Prabu, who is currently a graduate student at the Indonesia Institute of the Arts, acknowledged
the influence of Fernando Botero in his works. A Colombian artist known for his exaggerated and disproportionate depictions of plus-sized figures, Botero is a legendary figurative artist.  

“Thanks to my graffiti and mural background there’s an obvious pop culture and comic [drawing] influence to my Botero-esque aesthetic,” he said, pointing at the plus-sized superhero characters drawn on luggage as an example of his aesthetic.

“You have the superhero on one side of the luggage and the villain on the other. And the pop culture reference is also obvious in the comical depiction of the characters,” he explained.

The use of luggage is meant to break conventional art boundaries, in which serious “artworks can
only be enjoyed in the house or at the gallery”.

“Having the artworks painted on luggage means that one can carry the artwork wherever one goes,”
he added.  

Prabu, who is a Rumah Tembi artist residence program recipient this year, showcased his work in Jakarta and Yogyakarta at Tembi Rumah Budaya.

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