About the event
Gajah Gallery Jakarta presents I See Myself Floating (Aku Melihat Diriku Terapung), a solo show for I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih.
Over the past six years, the work of the late artist, also known as 'Murni' (1966-2006), has been gaining recognition across the globe. Her works have recently been acquired or exhibited by major institutions in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and most recently, the United States—where a significant collection of her works are drawing critical attention at the 58th Carnegie International.
Almost two decades since her last solo show in the city of Jakarta, it is about time that her works be showcased in the capital of her home country, Indonesia, invigorated by the conversations her works have sparked across the world. Marking Murni’s return to Jakarta, Gajah Gallery presents a significant number of her paintings, and soft and wooden sculptures that have yet to be displayed to the public.
Boldly addressing themes of trauma, survival, female sexuality and desire, Murni’s work had long been interpreted through the lens of her biography, which had been fraught with poverty, sexual violence, and illness.
But recent scholarship shows us how her works also resonate beyond her life, subverting gender-based inequalities, as well as illuminating the plight and subjectivities of others who have long been marginalized in society and art history.
Murniasih was an artist who refused to be defined solely by her suffering. It is in this way that her works continue to inspire—powerfully painting us another picture of what it means to survive.
I GAK Murniasih’s (b. 1966-2006, Bali, Indonesia) vision is often labelled as disturbing and deeply biographical, yet there is also humor and pathos that we can see throughout her paintings. Born in Tabanan Bali, Murni’s prolific artistic career was cut short due her illness and subsquently death in 2006.
A mostly self-taught artist, Murni was not particularly constraint by academic conventions in her painting. While she also learnt her technique through her mentor, I Dewa Putu Mokoh, she developed her own style that marked her as one of the important women artists in Indonesia. Both her artistic style and her willingness to tackle difficult subject matter such as pleasure and sexuality, has inspired other young female Balinese artists to pursue a career in visual arts.
About the organiser
Since 1996, Gajah Gallery has been a pioneering body in the Southeast Asian arts scene, representing a portfolio of the region’s leading artists as well as engaging the brightest emerging talents in contemporary art today. From humble beginnings in Singapore at Monk’s Hill, the Gallery has since expanded to a huge, beautifully-designed industrial warehouse space in Tanjong Pagar, and opened a second exhibition space in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Gallery also runs a collaborative platform and exhibition house, in the thriving arts city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Each of these spaces are fuelled with a unique atmosphere, that invites an interplay of contemporary aesthetics and critical discourse.
Gajah Gallery remains dedicated to promoting artists from the region and highlighting their international relevance. Over the years the gallery has built a legacy of initiatives such as re-invigorating academic contributions to the category of Indonesian art and history, creating landmark shows such as Lokanat: Ground Zero which travelled to Yangon, Intersections: Latin American and Southeast Asian Contemporary Art which travelled to Havana, Cuba and the founding of art institute Yogya Art Lab (YAL). Through significant collaborations with Singapore Art Museum (SAM), National University of Singapore Museum, and hosting at least five spectacular exhibitions each year, Gajah Gallery cements its commitment to supporting leading artists and nurturing emerging international talent, ensuring our content is as compelling as our curatorial concepts.