Rise, Sir Dandy: Indonesia's Andy Warhol Opens Solo Exhibition in a Mall
Jakarta. Indonesian rocker and visual artist Sir Dandy opened a solo exhibition titled "Imitation of Life" at lifestyle retail store Art & Science in Grand Indonesia, Central Jakarta, on Friday (02/02).
Dandy’s second solo exhibition features paintings and screenprint illustrations depicting two of his signature characters – reinterpretations of the Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf from the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.
Dandy turns the fairy tale's clichéd characterization on its head, one still a symbol of purity and the other a symbol of predatory instinct, but this time it's not clear which one is which.
"In contrast to the original tale, the girl in my paintings appears dominant and the wolf is often portrayed as the prey," Dandy said.
"The backgrounds are events and scenes around me seen through the point of view of these signature characters of mine," he said.
Dandy's intention is to shock the audience into thinking what would happen if things in life, not just in fairy tales, turn out differently than what one might expect.
The modern day vignettes featuring Little Red and Big Bad Wolf are rendered in the artist’s customary vibrant colors and simple graphics.
Pop Art
Art & Science and street brand Tenue de Attire have also worked with Dandy to put his artworks on a new line of apparels that has proved to be popular with Jakarta's young art lovers.
"This is the first time I've put my artwork out as apparels. I'm very excited with this project, Tenue is a great local brand and I hope customers will buy into what we're doing," Dandy said.
Dandy’s second solo exhibition — the first was in 2011 — is held inside the store’s pop-up area and shows only 13 of his works.
"Art exhibition doesn't always have to be held inside a gallery. I want my audience to enjoy my art without feeling intimidated. This is an exciting experience for me," Dandy said.
Art & Art
Art & Science's brand manager Rayzar Amar said the store wants customers to know they care not only about fashion but also about art.
"It's an honor to collaborate with Sir Dandy. He's an icon of the local art scene and we're long-time fans of his pop art. Dandy is like the Andy Warhol of Indonesia," Rayzar said.
Rayzar said Art & Science has planned to organize more art exhibitions in the future and will try to collaborate with local underground artists.
"We'll have something similar to this at least twice a month. Next time we might feature young, unknown artists, give them a chance to grow here," Rayzar said.
Sir Dandy's Imitation of Life is also sponsored by French eyewear Izipizi. The exhibition runs until April 2.
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