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'Mixed Feelings': Art breeding ground
Nothing good can be forced or made instantly and this is true of a work of art.
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Up close: Vicitors look at works on display at the exhibition in Jakarta. (Mixed Feelings Project/File)
I
t was a typically hectic afternoon at the two-story coffee shop at Gunawarman in South Jakarta, where the crowd enjoyed exhibited works by five new painters.
They are Nykkhu, Criwill, Hwang Tony, Novan Anggono and Liffi Wongso, who joined Mixed Feelings — a collective of artists established by illustrator Atreyu Moniaga with his nonprofit artist incubation project.
The latest exhibition, the project’s fifth batch, presents 21 works by the five artists who transform white canvasses into a spectrum of color. The exhibition runs until May 7.
The artists have different ways of representing themselves. Twenty-year-old Nykkhu explores his identity using watercolors on canvas while Criwill showcases his struggles to overcome his bad habits in a surrealist style.
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At the exhibition, Hwang Tony offers his own interpretation from a short story he adapted from illustrator Tampan Destawan.
Liffi Wongso showcases memories of her dreams in illustrations by using different mediums of paper, colored brightly and boldly.
Novan Anggono presents an art calligraphy collection of lyrics by American musician, writer and actress Jewel.
The project aims to be held annually and does not require any recruitment system or requirements. Anyone can join in the project as long as they can keep up with the pace.
Atreyu, better known as Atre, has made a name for himself through his fantastical drawings. He started Mixed Feelings, an “after school” project, with fellow artists and brothers Hari and Hadi Salim as an art lecturer at Bunda Mulia University.
He said he intentionally wanted the group not to comprise too much so the ones that remain are those with a high commitment to finish the one-year project.
“The approach is like this. I think to myself: how can I get close to them so the project feels like it’s theirs, not mine,” said the Jakarta Arts Institute alumni who has collaborated with other creative minds, including fashion photographer Jeremy Bobrow and Montreal fashion stylist Mark Fatal as well as renowned Indonesian fashion designers Hengki Kawilarang and Sebastian Gunawan.
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Atreyu asked for the help of many people from the art industry to realize the project. “So it’s a ‘gang up’ project and they gladly help without wanting any compensation, thankfully,” he laughed.
Being taught from scratch, the artists are patiently guided for approximately a year by Atreyu himself.
“The most challenging thing is to shape the artists’ confidence because if they aren’t confident, they cannot see themselves more truthfully, or what they really are as artists,” he says.
The five artists, aged between 19 and 22 years, have shown an interest in art since junior high school.
“Art is a medium for me to express myself, where I feel the most free. With this exhibition, the thought of having people appreciate my artwork didn’t cross my mind. I am really happy to see how developed my skills have become, compared to my older drawings,” said Liffi Wongso, the youngest and the only female artists among the five.
Criwill, who also joined last year’s collective, said he tried out for this year’s project again since he was motivated by how Atreyu had inspired one of his friend’s artworks.
“Atre, at his young age of 28, has already done a lot of photography and illustration exhibitions and I am a fan. I think it is very nice to be taught by someone who has a great concern about his students even though he’s very busy,” Hwang Tony said.
Atreyu praised his students’ high sense of belonging. Artists from previous batches also chipped in and helped out with the new batch, even though they are busy now with their own work.
He claims his previous students have also done some pretty impressive things, including a photoshoot job for Korean Fashion Week.
“This exhibition itself isn’t our main purpose. What’s most important is the output or the collection for the artists themselves. We don’t really care how big of a crowd or audience will show up because we think of it as a way of having a good time.”
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.
