2010 2nd International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Teapot Art

At April 27-29 2010, Shanghaitrg, an art institution invited me to an Exhibition titled "2010 2nd International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Teapot Art". Although there were some internal conflict on the Exhibition, thank God everything was running well, and I was given chance to exhibit my artwork, "TIGER FACED THE LIFE CHALLENGE" and "FLYING HIGH WITH EAGLE TO REACH LOVE"

Here are the complete concept of my artwork:
1. "TIGER FACED THE LIFE CHALLENGE"

Human life this year got more complex and competitive. We are faced to life competition which needs strength, tenacity with care. There needed patience, carefulness, and strength to face the competition. In order to make fortune and safety always belong to us, in this metal tiger year, we should increase the power by drinking holy water or tea water from the tiger teapot figure. Teapot with tiger figure which seemed to jump represent symbol of human fight to face a challenge. The tea from the teapot represented a symbol of holy water which gave strength to face challenges in this more complexes life.

Jinan 7th International Expo 2009 - Culture Park for Culture Exchange

In July 26th to 30th 2009 I followed an activity abroad, that was in Jinan Province – China. I was a design supervision/consultant to give advice for park as East java Participation in 7th China International Garden and Flower Expo Event. My participation in the program was to fulfill the invitation from China Government to East Java Province for the program participation.
About March, Jinan Province through Jinan Mayor with the Committee came to Surabaya offered the program to East Java Province. Next, East Java Government appointed Batu City Government to choose Park Designer also presented it in front of committee in Jinan, Meeting Public HallEast Java Province Office.

04 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Vision and Action

You might hear before. Vision and Action. Both of those terms should run together. In art, making creation without vision would be messy. In the contrary, vision without any action would be a daydreaming. Nothing happened. So, to be successful ceramic artist, you have to apply both, vision and action. I would give a description about applying both terms.
1. Vision
In making artwork, the most difficult part for me was finding the clear vision about what kind of artwork I would make. Here I considered all aspect, starting from theme, material, and process. When I got idea about making certain artwork, I kept it in my mind, I considered all things related to the idea. Just say I want to make a ceramic statue. I would imagine the philosophy behind the statue, how I express the philosophy into the statue’s form. I imagined how the looks, expression, signs in the statue that could represent the philosophy, etc. Then I tried to build the statue in my imagination. What material it would be formed, how it would be seemed, how the process to make it come true. I imagined it so strong so that I felt that I could touch the artwork, felt it textures, smell it, and watched the color very clear. This is really important process. It’s true that some people said that everything was created twice – once in mind and second in reality. When I found the clear vision about the artwork I would be made, I started to take action.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION WOULD BE HELD IN INDONESIA!

Among Asian countries, Indonesia a little bit rare to have chance in creating international event in art. This event would answer the judgment. Supported by State University of Malang (Universitas Negeri Malang), there would be an exhibition held in City Library in May 15th 2009. Some international ceramic artists would take part in this event. The event has one unique theme: “Peace”. The theme would be explored and presented through artwork, especially ceramic.
As one of the participants, I would presented a figurative relief described about Rama and Shinta from Ramayana Epics.

02 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Be Rich in Idea

Be Rich in Idea and You'd be Rich. Almost all pioneers, whether in science, business, or art focused on the importance of idea. It means that we have to be creative. Making something new or making something different could attract people's attention.Idea brought us to the new level of understanding and chance, especially in art, where everything came in mind first before it became an artwork or art performance.But how could we be rich in idea?...

I would take an example from my dimension, Ceramic art. In finding idea, I did these steps, and I hope these steps could also help you in finding new ideas, in any art application.
1. paying attention to the environment around you
The best idea source is the environment around you. If you don't mind to stop for a while, pay attention to the environment around.

01 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Basic Capital of Traditional Artist – Heart, Brain, and Skill

To be great successful traditional artist, we should owe certain basic capital. They are mental attitudes that guide us to success. Our basic competences that would support us as traditional artist which made us special, different from the others.

The basic capital of traditional artist are:
1. Heart
Art is close related with heart. Our heart should have sense of art. We feel something beautiful, aesthetic, comfort, and excellent by heart. That’s why heart and sense are important for an artist. We feel our emotion and the art’s emotion into one harmony with heart. Heart made us possible to feel the greatness or luxury of an artwork or art perform.
2. Brain
Brain is the leader of the action. The creator of behavior we need to make an artwork. Brain lead us to make a logic and reasonable actions related with art, so that we could create an art with certain precision, shape, and expression.

MAGICAL DAYS IN BLUE POTTERY TRUST’S EXPLORATION IN TERRACOTTA

I have received invitation from Blue Pottery Trust Institution in New Delhi. The institution invited me to support their project titled “Exploration of Terracotta”. It is an activity where all fine-artist following Camp and Exhibition program related with creation of art from terracotta. I have created an artwork titled “Against Evil” to be shown in the exhibition.
The artwork told about scene in Ramayana story, where Rahwana was surrounded by monkey soldiers lead by Hanoman.
I have done a research about ceramic history, traditional ceramic, and ceramic technique from their sources to make a journal for workshop which would be held at the event. I also have bought ticket from Jakarta to India in order to join the event. I went to India at February 4th 2009 by flight. There I joined “Exploration of Terracotta” Event which was held by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust. I followed three major programs. They were: Camping, Exhibition, and Workshop.

PINCHING TECHNIQUE GAVE AN EXTENDED EXPRESSION FOR ARTIST IN MAKING FIGURATIVE ARTWORK

I would like to share my knowledge about pinching technique from Indonesia which has given me an extended expression in making figurative artwork.
It was called pinching technique since we shape the clay using our fingers. First of all we should imagine what we would be formed. The dimension and kind of expression should be considered first before we made the artwork. It would be better if we made a detail design first.
But if you have strong imagination, it would be great to concentrate to the shape we would make, then used our fingers to make the shape.

INDONESIAN CERAMIC AS AN EXPRESSION OF MAGIC – RELIGIOUS AND VISUAL – AESTHETICAL

Ceramic had known for long ago in whole world and also Indonesia The ancient people had also used ceramic as media to express their religious sense. For me, ancient the ancient cultural background which had acculturated with Indonesian local genius culture was an idea source which had to be dug and created for recent aesthetic expression.
Ceramic artwork to express religious sense had known in Indonesia in time of ancient Kingdom. It was formed in the shape of temples, figurative decoration, and statue in the whole Indonesia, which owed deep religious sense. The artworks described gods, religious leader, and Kings who were considered as the reincarnation of ancient gods in animism faith. When Islam entered Indonesia, ceramic was still used as media to express their religious sense in the mosques and Islamic schools.