We are pleased to announce an exhibition For the Sake of Sanity by Dionysius Hatmaji (Labdo Grahito) on June 23 (Sat) & 24 (Sun), as a result of his activity during his stay at Studio Kura.
Dionysius Hatmaji, Labdo Grahito as his artist name is a student/visual artist based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Currently, he is still attending a liberal arts college in Kentucky, United States. He is majoring in studio art with concentration in painting. He also works at his campus’ ceramics studio as an apprentice. Since high school, he had been worked with quite a few theater groups and art communities in Jogjakarta, one of them is Studio Batu.
Labdo Grahito’s illustrations combine his own fantasy world and sometimes visuals that are borrowed from Javanese culture and his childhood memories. He is interested in mysticism and sees art as a way to pray and express love to life itself. Most of his works contain themes of personal matters and symbolism.
Here are some words from the artist himself.
We can not choose what shapes our identity, like our homeland, our family, or even our own physical form. however, they are the elements that make up our identity. for me, identity is something that is priceless, so we should appreciate it, and continue to learn it. more than that, i believe that everything that life has provided, should be used to dig up gratitude and maintain our sanity.
I was born as a Javanese, and since childhood, I have been very reverent to the Javanese spiritual wisdom. Java and all of its spirituality have flowed in my bloodstream, and are one fundamental part of myself. To me, jawa is jiwa: java is the soul (of mine). From Javanese philosophy, I always get the inspiration so swiftly to create works of art, also on how to face worldly challenges. This exhibition is as well inspired by one Javanese wisdom, which essentially says that in the course of this life, everything has its time. Anything can be a source of goodness, as long as it is in the right moment. I apply that principle to the way I work in art, and to the way I live my life. I believe that maintaining sanity also sometimes takes lunacy.
Clearly, we need to maintain our sanity. However, there are times when we need to drink sake, and become a little drunk, in order to keep ourselves sane. This exhibition, For the Sake of Sanity, will share some fragments from Anoman, one of my favorite wayang (the Javanese shadow puppet) tales, as well as series of illustration about my contemplation and thoughts and what I got during my stay in Japan, especially from Itoshima.
Dionysius Hatmaji (Labdo Grahito) “For the Sake of Sanity”
Exhibition style: Illustration
Date: June 23(Saturday) to 24(Sunday), 11:00 to 18:00, free entrance
* We will hold an exhibition opening party and an artist talk on 23rd (Sat), starting at 15:30.
* The exhibitions by other current residence artists will be also held on the same dates.