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Handiwirman Saputra / Indonesia b.1975 / Menahan bentukan(holding formature) 2015 / Fibre resin, acrylic sheet, aluminium, polyurethane paint / 54 x 24 x 180cm; 140 x 25 x145cm; 86 x 25 x 83cm / © The artist /Image courtesy: The artist
Handiwirman SaputraMenahan bentukan (holding formature) 2015
Not Currently on Display
Handiwirman Saputra’s ambitious sculptures explore the inner and outer shapes of structures, and indirectly refer to the body. He uses materials not commonly seen together — plastics, resins, paper and fabrics, as well as highly polished industrial synthetics, and collections of scraps, clothing and organic substances.
Periodically, the artist focuses on a particular shape or material in his investigation of the nature of everyday objects. For example, he probes the ductility of an elastic band, drawing out its enormous capacity for changing shape and interacting with other objects. He examines how such a unique form can undergo changes in scale and texture, while still maintaining its original make-up.
Saputra’s approach is inspired by the culture of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. He is particularly drawn to the phrase ‘dalam tampak luar — luar tampak dalam’ (‘inside looking out — outside looking in’) as it considers both the interior and the exterior of forms at the same time. The artist’s practice is unique and bears little connection to formal or aesthetic conventions. He constructs new paths from which he observes, manipulates and reveals the everyday.