Artistic Statement

“Here from the corner of my studio I always would return to simplicity! I would prefer laughing at myself, being cathartic, ambiguous in such negotiations of pluralist society. And from there, I would always return to the nature of humanity.” _____ _____ Wisnu Sasongko has exhibited in many national solo and group expositions since 2000, such as in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung and Bali. He also took part in various painting exhibition events in Canada, USA, Switzerland, Malaysia and Singapore. In 2004-2005 he was Artist in Residence for an artistic research program at OMSC (New Haven, CT, USA), sponsored by the United Board of Asian Christian Higher Education. There he had several solo exhibitions, made a study tour at a museum arranging an art book and made a short documentary movie. He was invited by Mission 21 in 2008 to present Indonesian Christian art in Switzerland. ___ ___ Since 2010 he has done research on the subject of modern Indonesian Christian art expression, while he spoke in academic forums on various Christian universities in Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta. In the same year he started together with other artists a group of Indonesian Christian art called Seruni to initiate various art exhibitions and events at universities such as Maranatha Christian University in Bandung (2011-2013), School of Theology Jakarta (STT, year 2012), Pelita Harapan University (regular art exhibition since 2011 until now), The Great Commission School of Theology or STTA (2012). ___ ___ Work Process My paintings use conventional materials as acrylic paint and textural pallet techniques on canvas. I paint in a figurative way that is transformed into a decorative style. In my work I bring together all of my daily experiences, biblical reflection and artistic ideas. I include human forms and gestures to express the miracle of life. Indonesia has a pluralistic culture in which I aim to contextualize spiritual experiences of Love as real events. Christian art in the classical sense is over, which means that a renaissance is needed to develop a new iconography. Christian art in Indonesia today is confronted by cultural plurality and current developments in contemporary art, so it takes courage to offer artistic values in depth, uniqueness and freshness.