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Where the heart is: Graffiti artist Sicovecas seeks home in every space and color
A gecko painted high above the wall is an example. For many, the animal might seem a ubiquitous sight. But it was as pivotal as Sicovecas’ other colorful paintings on canvas to make the gallery feel like home.
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A lamp and stand by graffiti artist Sicovecas are made from a collage of ceramics, glass and other materials. (Sicovecas/-)
T
here is a playfulness in Obi, the man behind the graffiti persona Sicovecas, which was apparent at first glance. The 35-year-old from Yogyakarta joked and shared personal anecdotes gleefully while talking about his artwork to gallery attendants.
“The plug for this lamp is actually from my lamp at home,” he said to The Jakarta Post during his first-ever solo exhibition in August at Artsphere Gallery in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
But looking at his artwork, from brushes of pastel colors on a canvas to a collage of materials on a wall, there is also grace, charm and most importantly, stories that he is trying to tell through his creations.
Take, for example, a gecko painted high above the wall. For many, the animal might seem a ubiquitous sight. But it was as pivotal as Sicovecas’ other colorful paintings on canvas to make the gallery feel like home.
“Previously, I’d never made the gallery this expressive, but Obi took the initiative to put his art all over the room,” gallery owner Maya Sujatmiko told the Post.
Before meeting him, Maya had seen his work and was “enamored” by Sicovecas’ ability to bring the outside world indoors, further applauding his sensibility as a “street artist” in maximizing fine art spaces.
“I draw the things that I see around me, that’s all my art is,” the visual artist says, explaining his street name Sicovecas from its three initial words (As I See).
