Dream of Java is a collection of wayang paintings that I perfected while studying in Surakarta, Indonesia, in the studio of Javanese artist Pak Tardianza.
Fascinated by the stylized, delicate patterns and drawings of traditional wayang art from Central Java, I diligently studied this form of nearly iconographic painting, which originated from the shadow puppet theater, wayang kulit.
It was there and then that color first revealed its true nature to me. The process of creating wayang perfectly suited me after the expressionist paintings I created to explore movement and emotion. I faced the challenge of unique stylization, which required endless patience and complete calm. I was captivated by the subtlety of precise lines and the richness of the drawings. Colors, jewelry, textiles, and patterns have their own meanings, and each character represents a specific spiritual quality in the story.
During the painting of wayang, a high level of concentration and alertness is developed. Any mistake would inevitably require repainting almost the entire image. Meticulous in drawing and composition, the wayang series is created in continuity with other painting cycles, carefully nurtured as a completely different approach to art. It is possible that I am the only person who can present this type of painting to an audience in Europe, if not the only one outside Indonesia. All paintings (currently more than 50) are made with acrylic, ink, and gold pigment on fine, thin canvas specially crafted in Surakarta.
2020 Composition of 4 of mosaics walls, the public space of the luxury tourist resort Porto Montenegro from the conceptual design to the installation of 9.4 m2, Tivat, Montenegro
2018 ReLoad, Tivat Creative Center, Montenegro
2015 Art in Jewelry – a collaboration with Russian artist Olga Fedotova to create one-of-a-kind jewelry inspired by Wayang paintings, Montenegro
2003/04 Visiting Artist, Studio Bima, Surakarta, Indonesia
