NANZUKA will present a selection of new paintings by Indonesian artist Roby Dwi Antono (b.1990) at ART BASEL HK.
The extraordinary talent of artist Roby Dwi Antono who had expressed a keen interest towards “painting” since childhood, had blossomed with the support of his parents who allowed him to freely doodle on the walls of their house. Roby did not receive any formal education in art, and had acquired the technique of painting beautifully with the utmost skill and finesse entirely through a self-taught method by looking for references. The success of his exhibition organized by his friend in 2012 naturally resulted in the flourishing of his artistic talent.
Some of Roby’s previous works strongly reflected the influence of the styles of his beloved artists such as Mark Ryden and Yoshitomo Nara. At the same time, these works depicted by painting with spray paint on a single tone background, permeate with a distinctly unique atmosphere. The portraits, which look like children, are strongly reminiscent of the artist’s roots, and at once seemingly boy and girl, convey the beauty that is present within ambiguity.
Roby states as follows regarding the series of work presented on this occasion:
“My childhood memories that were at times happy and at times painful, are indeed linked to my apparent anxiety towards the reality of my life at present. On occasion I find myself overcome by a strong sense of nostalgia that strikes me like a blurry flash of light. It happens unknowingly the moment I wake up, and I try hard to piece together that sensation.
I am constantly driven by my urge to gather together all the scattered fragments of memory and restoring them within painting. For me, painting is not a documentary based on fact, as I realize that my memory is vague and is not something that is perfect. Nonetheless, it is the accumulation of my past experience that shapes who I am today and paves the path for my future.”