Entang Wiharso Exhibition

Marc Straus

poster for Entang Wiharso Exhibition

This event has ended.

MARC STRAUS presents the second solo exhibition of new works by artist, Entang Wiharso.

Entang Wiharso, one of Indonesia’s leading contemporary artists, with his American partner and wife Christine Cocca and their children have been dividing their time between Yogyakarta, Indonesia and Rhode Island, US for many years. Wiharso’s work has always stemmed from this very duality in cultures and experiences – national identity, migration, race, political states and power conflicts are some of the common issues Wiharso throws into sharp focus.

Thus Wiharso’s work manifests such schisms and anxieties, with not only reverence for the folklore and history of his own Javanese culture, but also a strong recognition of the yearning for identity and belonging. For children as his who can they have pride in their dual heritages and how are they to navigate today’s complicated landscape?

In his new exhibition at MARC STRAUS Gallery, “Promising Land”, Wiharso challenges the notion of The Promised Land. His myriad of esoteric symbols and coded imagery poignantly convey the sense of struggle in Man’s constant pursuit for this utopia.

His art takes the form of frieze-like metal wall reliefs that reference Javanese traditional arts. One sees these carved into the stone walls of the ancient 9th century temples in Borobudur, Yogyakarta, preaching the story of Buddha to the initiates.

Wiharso amalgamates Eastern and Western symbols; they are freely transposed much like the assimilation of one culture into another through centuries of migration. His work conjures imagery of weapons such as rifles and swords, symbolizing the need for protection; rice bowls for provision and salvation. Elongated limbs and hair contort into snake-like tendrils perhaps alluding to danger. Fire and smoke represent the frustration and hopelessness one sometimes feel.

Media

Schedule

from April 09, 2017 to May 14, 2017

Opening Reception on 2017-04-09 from 18:00 to 20:00

Artist(s)

Entang Wiharso

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