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EXHIBITED
Diri: Bayu Utomo Radjikin, MADC, Kuala Lumpur, 2001.
“The face is no longer important. When you have a full face, people try to recognise who you are and what is the profile. I’m hiding, and certain elements of my face do the talking”, the artist described in an interview with The Edge Malaysia.
One of the founding members of the potent and influential MATAHATI collective, Bayu Utomo Radjikin helped brought back serious figurative representation within the local art scene in the 1990s. He is regarded as one of the country’s finest figurative artists, projecting his own persona to enact psychological drama hinting at uncertain challenges or unknown adversities. He often shows himself in Malay warrior-like gear and half-body poses and gestures to exteriorize inner struggles against temptations and to question the notion of identity and belonging.
In this rare early self-portrait, the profile of the artist executed with delicate strokes of charcoal is depicted deep in thoughts, gazing far away to the right and avoiding direct confrontation with the viewer. It is part of the body of work featured in Diri: Self Portraits 1989-2001 exhibition in MADC, Kuala Lumpur, which were done on paper, some in the collection of esteemed private collectors and royalty. This particular piece was among the very few with an accompanying self-written poem by the artist.
Though Bayu sees these self-portraits as ‘one-way conversation between the artist and the canvas’, by casting himself as the protagonist, he is in fact projecting himself as the Everyman. More than self-portraits, they trigger self-deliberation and self-introspection in the viewer. Executed in 1998, a period when the MATAHATI group was taking off and had gained recognition as one of the trendsetters in Malaysian contemporary art, this work marks a pivotal precursor to Bayu’s iconic Mencari Pahlawan series.
Graduated from UiTM, (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Bayu has won various awards and accolades throughout his art career. He is the founding member of House of MATAHATI (HOM), an independent art space consisting a gallery, studio facilities and art residency for emerging local artists.
