Anggrek Agency is excited to present In a Land of Hope and Dreams with works by Yen Melia Andreas (Indonesian, *1996), Dapott (Indonesian, *1995), and Jérémy Rebord (Swiss, *1990). This three-person show continues the journey begun in Andreas' recent solo exhibition, She Blooms in Colors.
Andreas holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Parahyangan Catholic University and rediscovered her passion for art to express her personal experiences. She furthered her artistic education with a year-long online fine art program at the Milan Art Institute and honed her skills through the Atreyu Moniaga Project, an art incubator program. Combining the precision of architectural training with self-taught techniques, Andreas creates oriental-style paintings of beautiful female figures. Her work reflects her personal struggles, societal challenges, and the importance of personal growth, trust, and appreciating life's simple moments. Select shows include Art Jakarta Fair (2024), Seoul Art Show (2023), and Of All the Odds - Srisasanti Syndicate, Yogyakarta (2022).
Dapott, a moniker of Ida Bagus Udayana, is a visual artist and illustrator working and living in Yogyakarta and Bali. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indonesia Art Institute Yogyakarta. Dapott’s work is a product of his observations on the relationship between humans and their environment, drawn from everyday life. The artist is visually, heavily, influenced by the worlds of skateboarding, music, pop culture, and cartoons. Through the characters of childlike figures, Dapott seeks to reinterpret the ideas he discovers into visually dense, playful, and balance compositions. Select recent shows include Exposer Art, Jakarta (2023), Stem Show #4, Yogyakarta (2023), From 0-100, Surabaya (2023), and MoCaf Manila, Philippines (2023).
Rebord holds both a BA and an MA in Art Education from ZHdK. The artist explores the relationship and interaction between bodies and their surroundings in his paintings. The bodies he portrays appear out of shape and adaptable, constantly performing twisted poses and orienting themselves into a paradoxical glow. For queer individuals, orientation often involves turning towards or away from social structures. Select shows include Die Papageien am Firmament gieren nach Süssem, Artspace Marsie, Zurich (2024), Grosse Regionale 2023, Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Rapperswil-Jona (2023), Drôle de dance, Artspace Parat, Zurich (2023), and À la folie, encore et encore, Amiamo, Zurich (2023).
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Written by Steven Anggrek
This three-person show explores the many ways to celebrate life in its purest form, inviting you to embrace the peace of solitude and the joy of pause, while also relishing the empowerment that comes with claiming your space as a queer person. It demonstrates also the resilience of growing into a beautiful person despite life's hardships.
Dapott’s work, which resembles an enlarged graphic illustration, is created with spray paint and acrylic on canvas. The artist, who mostly works in his backyard, uses a lot of tape to mask areas and create sharp lines, building layers upon layers. The figure in his paintings is often a young person, presumably self-portraits of the artist.
One painting, Interlude I, shows the artist taking a break from it all, lying on a yoga mat in swimwear and listening to records. In Interlude II, his French bulldog happily performs the downward dog position nearby. In another painting, the artist is seen balancing his life on a tightrope, his interior appearing mechanical, suggesting that the new generation consists of machines with artificial intelligence. Another work, Morning Glory, features a non-binary person waving to someone, with an adult toy and a mobile phone clearly visible in the window. As a queer person, I interpret Morning Glory as a reference to the morning erection men experience, which is likely understood by straight men as well. But do they really discuss it? Probably. And I wonder if the younger generation is into physical relationships these days. Why bother when they can use a toy and a phone?
Dapott draws inspiration from pop culture, such as skateboards, vinyl records and Yayoi Kusama's pumpkins, and wants to fill the world with the cuteness of the Kawaii culture from Asia, especially Japan. The pastel colors of his works bring harmony and calm into the room.
Rebord's paintings are based on his drawings, and interestingly, some are also painted over his older paintings - a painting over a painting! Traces of the old paintings are intentionally left visible, reflecting the artist's fascination with orientation theory. Rebord, who is also a queer person, explains that he has to adapt often and both conform to and turn away from social norms and structures. This theory helps queer people, as well as those who feel socially uncomfortable for various reasons, understand their place in the world. Through his paintings and drawings, Rebord wants to inspire others to embrace their own identity, find their own path and reclaim their spaces. It's about discovering a new you!
Andreas' watercolor paintings in the previous show, She Blooms in Colors, depict a Chinese girl from a family that expected sons but only has daughters. The works address her struggle with the feeling of not being accepted by her family and society. The large paintings (up to 100 x 150 cm) are challenging due to the unforgiving nature of watercolor paint, which cannot be corrected once applied on the paper. The artist must work quickly and confidently to create such beautiful works.
With her oil on canvas works from the current show, In a Land of Hope and Dreams, Andreas tries to meet the market's demand for long-lasting work of art. These pieces continue to address her struggle to fit in with society (and, I dare say, in the art market). The artist said that these works are reminders for her and others, especially women, to go out and have fun and and grow into beautiful people despite all eyes being on them and expecting them to trip up. Although her works on canvas are no less beautiful, I still prefer those on paper. If only we could appreciate art for its intrinsic value instead of expecting it to last forever!