Suanjaya Kencut, 27, is an award-winning artist. He was a finalist for UOB Painting of the Year 2016 and was included in the top 20 finalists of REDBASE Young Artist Award. His creations were also included in the Best five Artwork Aksi Artsy in 2016 and 2017.

Kencut, who often goes back and forth between Bantul, Yogyakarta and Badung, Bali, opened his first solo exhibition in 2019. The first one was titled "It isn't a Whole" at Artotel Sanur, Bali. Later that year, he opened another one, ​"Kaum Mata Kancing", at KopiKalyan Jakarta Selatan. In 2020, his solo exhibition, "Repeat", was showcased in Artotel Gajah Mada, Semarang.

His "Kaum Mata Kancing" exhibition managed to capture the attention of many urban Jakartans. Inspired by Neil Gaiman's Coraline, which was adapted to a 2009 animation by LAIKA Studios, we can see more "Kaum Mata Kancing" in his latest solo exhibition at RUCI Art Space titled "FROM ME, TO YOU".

"I once learned to make crafts when I was in 6th grade," said Kencut to Crafters. "The doll can be said to be Barong or Rangda because it was made by human hands. It was used for ritual purposes, whereas I found it easier to make something simple and close to me. Moreover, if I want to insert a moral message in my work."

Kencut conceptualized buttons as eye replacements for his creation, representing the invisible feelings of the objects. "I think, for us, who have eyes, every time we see something we shouldn't, we sin," he said. 

"On the other hand, the button eye is, for me, without sin. Through those flat button eyes, we can't see the expression and feelings of the doll ... directly, and other feelings are invisible."

 

 

 

 

 

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From Me, To You
"Suanjaya Kencut takes inspiration from a vivid childhood memory of collecting flowers with his mother to make Balinese offerings or sesajen in his latest exhibition, FROM ME, TO YOU," RUCI Art Space wrote on Instagram. 

"Reviving the daily ritual of making sesajen in this collection of paintings expresses the feeling of gratitude for his blessings – good health after the reemergence from isolation, the rekindling embrace of family and friends and the birth of his first daughter."

Kencut aims to deliver his epiphany that all forms of life on earth share a common fate during the pandemic. As a Balinese, the Fine Art graduate from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta noted that Balinese have always been mindful of this symbiosis in their perennial ritual of sesajen as small but meaningful gestures. This gesture shows that all life forms are sacred to our daily encounters and the larger living ecosystem.

His paintings are the embodiment of the mindfulness of meditating, praying, and giving thanks. The exhibition is an invitation to trust in the innate wisdom of nature, share positive energy, and spread joy through art, faith, and love.

Curated by Zarani Risjad, "FROM ME, TO YOU" was launched on Friday, December 17, 2021, and will remain on display until January 22, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

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Visiting RUCI Art Space
The name RUCI was derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "the source of light" and "taste" or "pleasure", a manifestation of its founders' vision for a place filled with many beautiful forms of arts, such as paintings and photography from contemporary artists.

Aiming to raise awareness about the ever-evolving Indonesian culture, RUCI Art Space has hosted various solo and group exhibitions from numerous  Indonesian and international artists. 

It is located near the bourgeois neighborhood Senopati, South Jakarta, at Jl. Melawai VIII No.2A, Level 3. You can visit Kencut's "From Me To You" every Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. RSVP is required.

 

 

 

 

 

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