The world is getting technologically more advanced and confusing these days—and sometimes the spoken word is just not enough to express what we want to say.
In the exhibition Coretan: Recent Works, which is jointly organized by NUS Museum and Gajah Gallery, Indonesian contemporary artist Yunizar’s collection of 19 paintings in acrylic and pencil on canvas demonstrate his belief that spoken language as a mode of communication can be convoluted. Yet the works are filled with illegible, scratchy and dense scribblings. It is here that Yunizar’s belief that text, or the written word, is an effective means of communication and artistic expression is revealed. To the artist, writing can sometimes bridge the lapses in understanding that occur between individuals.
In no way are his works stiff and contrived—instead they are aesthetically simple but spontaneous. Comprising irregular words scrawled on the canvas, and large, vague and even blurry shapes colored in earthy, subdued shades of red, orange, green, brown and yellow, the impression one gets is that of an artist painting freely from the recesses of his mind without any conscious attempt to restrain his artistic impulses.
Often lauded as a mature artist that ironically paints his works in a child-like manner, Yunizar is also known for his uncompromising stance on creativity. Refusing to place too much emphasis on composition, style and technique, Yunizar instead places pure, unadulterated creativity above all else. Indeed this mantra is evident in his works that are simple yet complicated, muted but strong. Surely it is better to appreciate his works for what they are, instead of over-analyzing them. For as Yunizar says, “I’m glad I can find and enjoy beauty in every place, even if it is in things that people regard as useless, unimportant, trivial. I am glad to be able to think this way.” Similarly, beauty is there in his works—just check them out for yourself.
