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Ugo Untoro deconstructs, reconstructs essence of paintings
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Painter Ugo Untoro speaks during the press tour of his latest exhibition. (JP/Dionnasius Aditya)
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ultidisciplinary artist Ugo Untoro’s latest exhibition themed “Rindu Lukisan Merasuk di Badan” (Longing of Paintings Enter the Body), highlights the Yogyakarta-based artist’s penchant for deconstructing and reconstructing, this time with paintings as both medium and subject.
Taking place at the National Gallery in Gambir, Central Jakarta, from Dec. 21, 2019 until Jan. 12, the exhibition showcased around 70 of Ugo’s works, from paintings to installations and everything in between.
The name of the exhibition itself was derived from composer and national hero Ismail Marzuki’s song “Rindu Lukisan”. Though the song carries a romantic overtone, the “longing” in this part is of Ugo’s wish to return to the two-dimensional medium of paintings.
It has been 12 years since Ugo’s last exhibition at the National Gallery, “Poem of Blood”. Since then, he has reflected on the many events that transpired in the meantime, including the speed of information.
“It has become more ludicrous; we are losing empathy. [...] In the midst of this fast-paced life, I chose to slow down by truly understanding what I really wanted to achieve and discover,” he said.
“I found that I once experienced that feeling of fulfillment that cannot be replicated when my hands can create lines and color. That was the impetus for this exhibition.”
The artwork exhibited spans several of Ugo’s many series of works, from the intricately vibrant Eugène Delacroix-inspired paintings, the pared down Sleeping Buddha series, to the deconstructed Painting series.
