Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2013 | Page 82

80 Explore | Art & Design ART & DESIGN Eko Nugroho Lyon Biennale Mural Giant Textile for Louis Vuitton Rally: Contemporary Indonesian Art, Jompet Kuswidananto and Eko Nugroho at National Gallery of Victoria Témoin Hybride installation exhibition “Indonesia is my biggest inspiration,” says Eko Nugroho, an internationally known Indonesian contemporary artist whose aesthetic style is rooted in his love of comics and the culture of his archipelago nation. This combination is apparent in all of Eko’s works, which implement traditional motifs like batik and wayang often juxtaposed by robots, monsters and spaceships. Always in search of inspiration, this Yogyakarta-born artist likes to spend his spare time reading comic books and watching animated films and comedy. His guiding principle is that honesty, passion and focus should be the centre of every artistic work. “Indonesia adalah inspirasi terbesar saya,” kata Eko Nugroho, seorang seniman kontemporer yang telah dikenal di dunia internasional. Terinspirasi dari kecintaannya kepada komik dan juga budaya Indonesia, karya seninya menampilkan motif tradisional seperti batik dan wayang yang dikombinasikan dengan robot-robot dan pesawat luar angkasa. Agar tidak kehilangan inspirasi, seniman kelahiran Yogyakarta tersebut gemar menghabiskan waktu luangnya dengan membaca komik dan menonton film animasi serta komedi. Dalam berkesenian, prinsipnya adalah berkarya dengan jujur, semangat dan fokus. He was recently commissioned by world-famous fashion house Louis Vuitton to design Giant Textile, a 1.8m2 shawl, for its autumn/winter 2013 scarf collection. The final design, entitled Republik Tropis, or Tropical Republic, explores social issues in Indonesia and Indonesia’s natural diversity, featuring fruits and vegetables, including pineapples, dragon fruit and cassava leaves, as well as coral reefs and sea shells. “Indonesia is rich in culture, nature, language, cuisine and tradition. Naturally, creativity is also rich here because there is so much to explore. I’m proud to be surrounded by a wealth of diverse cultures,” says Eko, a graduate of the Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta, and whose works have been showcased across Europe and Asia. Baru-baru ini Eko, bekerja sama dengan brand ternama Louis Vuitton, mendesain syal (yang direplika dalam bentangan kain selebar 1,8 m) untuk koleksi musim gugur/ dingin 2013. Desainnya yang diberi judul ‘Republik Tropis’ atau Tropical Republic merepresentasikan isu-isu sosial di Indonesia dan juga keberagaman alam hayatinya, menampilkan buah-buahan dan sayuran seperti nanas, buah naga, daun singkong dan terumbu karang. “Indonesia sangat kaya akan ragam budaya, hayati, bahasa, makanan dan tradisi. Dan inilah sumber kreativitas yang bisa kita eksplorasi. “Saya bangga dikelilingi kekayaan budaya yang beraneka,” papar jebolan Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta yang hasil karyanya telah banyak dipamerkan di Eropa dan Asia ini.