작품 상세

In January this year, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, the creative force and spokesman of the cult Matahati group, stunned the local art scene with some 17 highly matured and structured works (although they appear formless and ephemeral) in two monochromes, red and white, hosted by the G13 Gallery. It recalled his first and only dedicated-abstract exhibition simply titled ‘Bayu Utomo Radjikin’ at the now defunct GaleriWan, then at its Bangsar outlet in Kuala Lumpur. It’s like a 20-year itch. The works then were more spontaneous, wild and unrestrained colour palette. And as can be seen in this particular work, a mesh of calligraphic strokes that could amount to some kind of form, a face or landscape perhaps. Bayu virtually stormed into mainstream art when he captured the Major Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition with his Bujang Berani sculpture bust in 1991, which bucked the trend of Islamic Art brought about by the Ayatollah Khomeiny fundamental messianic strictures of the mid-1980s. That year he also won a Special Award in the One World – No War competition organised by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall. In 1992, he again made a big impact with his Minor Award win in the prestigious Salon Malaysia 1991-1992. In the Malaysian level of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, Bayu won Honourable Mention twice, in 1994 and 1995. What is most dynamic about the artist is that he went on to establish the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award as a collaboration between his gallery, HOM Art Trend and Galeri Chandan, apart from regional art initiatives in art residencies and the Art Triangle bringing together outstanding young artsts from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Bayu graduated with a BFA in Universiti ITM in 1991.