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Andhika Muksin: Astounded by the Power of Art
Itâs Adventure Time, B*tch! - Courtesy of Andhika MuksinAndhika Muksin is among the countryâs rising artists who have made a name for themselves through social media
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It's Adventure Time, B*tch! - Courtesy of Andhika Muksin
Andhika Muksin is among the country's rising artists who have made a name for themselves through social media.
His artwork blends realism with an absurdist touch, conveying a sense of playfulness with his palette of minimalist colors and odd-shaped characters.
A 2008 visual communication design graduate of Jakarta's Paramadina University, the 30-something-year-old was first drawn to the 'pop surrealist' style of art when he encountered the work of American artist Mark Ryden, known for his lowbrow art and dubbed as 'the father of pop surrealism'.
Though he claims not to be a major fan of Ryden, Andhika's penchant for blending the cute and the odd is certainly reminiscent of Ryden's touch.
Nevertheless, Andhika admitted that through Ryden, he became acquainted with the pop surrealist movement and its key artists, which include names like Audrey Kawasaki, Miss Van, Cyrcle and James Jean.
Andhika recalled being fascinated with the movement, though he quickly learned that copying his idols would result in little artistic satisfaction, preferring to instead find his own voice.
His weapons of choice, as he calls them, are acrylic paint and Wacom tablet, the latter of which he uses for its ability to be worked on and edited through digital means.
He finds the combination between the physical methods of art creation ' for example, painting ' by hand as fascinating of a process as editing and post-production on the computer.
Andhika admits that holding a brush and painting on an actual canvas is far more therapeutic than pressing buttons on the keyboard and clicking on a mouse.
In 2011, Andhika held his first public and solo exhibition at Kemang's Treehouse. The exhibition was warmly received, with friends, admirers and peers coming out to support him and increased the hype surrounding Andhika's work.
Realizing that there was an actual audience for his art, Andhika began taking things seriously, becoming, in the process, a professional artist living off of his art. His routine drawing and sketching eventually filtered his style into something even more identifiable as being typically his.
'I recall thinking, however, that putting lots of detail into a piece would somehow add to its value. Thankfully, I've passed that growing phase,' he said.
What brought Andhika into the mainstream, however, was his painting of Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong'o (of 12 Years a Slave) on his Instagram account, which was then reposted by the actress herself ' garnering Andhika thousands of new followers.
For Andhika, the idea that his pieces have become conversation starters is strange. He continues to be astounded by the power of art ' something he encourages with each new painting he creates.
He said there were always ideas behind his artwork, but never a fully realized the back story or meanings. 'Because I'd like to leave that for spectators to interpret, engage them in this invisible conversation.'
