Creation Date
2019
Preview
Medium
oil on canvas
Description
Dimensions: 24 x 36 inches
Rights
© Lemuel Eliasaph Saputra, 2019.
Exhibit Images
Keywords
painting, art, culture, identity, contemporary, Indonesia
2019
oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 x 36 inches
© Lemuel Eliasaph Saputra, 2019.
painting, art, culture, identity, contemporary, Indonesia
Artist Statement
My work deals with cultural identity in this present time as it relates to technology, travel, media, and consumer products. I explore the ideas and customs that shape identity, while also examining the ways it is changing and the ways it remains the same, as affected by the cultural exchange caused by increasing connectivity between different countries.
As an Indonesian, I see this phenomenon occurring rapidly between Indonesia and the United States. A new space is created through the intersection of the two cultures, where one no longer belongs to either culture but is something in between. That space in between—with the ambiguity and tension that it fosters—is what I aim to explore.
I use painting to create an illusionistic space that shows an unfolding narrative. The setting, cultural elements and symbols creates a scene that bounces between what is familiar and unfamiliar. Through juxtaposing different symbolic elements in a single space, I aim to create a strange tension while also showing a kind of loose coherency, hopefully leading the viewer to examine the forces that shape identity and what it means to be in this present time.