Boyke Aditya Krishna's art keeps viewers guessing

By Lilia Syarif Naga

JAKARTA (JP): People usually view paintings or artworks as a diversion or to appreciate their beauty and craftsmanship. They are probably not seeking to evoke emotional upheaval.

But it is magical when artwork, like that of Yogyakarta contemporary painter Boyke Aditya Krishna, can do all three.

Millennium Gallery in South Jakarta is exhibiting 30 of his paintings in conjunction with its soft opening. The exhibition, from Dec. 20 through Jan. 20, is Boyke's second solo exhibition after one in Bandung.

A prolific painter, he has participated in many joint exhibitions at home and abroad. His trademark style is characterized by neat lines, curves and figures as well as vivid hues and dynamic movement.

A 1986 graduate of the Yogyakarta Academy of Fine Arts, Boyke has devoted himself to painting since college. For the past 12 years, he has perfected his style.

He is inspired by nature in making the art because he strives to capture its beauty, comprehensive existence and mystery.

Through his art, Boyke tries to present nature in the widest perspective: land, ocean, man, animals plants, sky. He adds other aspects of human life into the painting, such as the concept of the future life, the hereafter, expectations, misery, imagination, emotions and other psychological conditions.

Each of Boyke's paintings is unique and almost unbelievably succeeds in mesmerizing observers with their wildest imaginations, simultaneously educating them with its unique aspects.

Most of the paintings are acrylic on canvas and depict the uncanny cohabitation of nature and creatures in the universe. Boyke acknowledges his works are to an extent influenced by local artistry, traditional values, mythology and folklore, such as the ethnic touches of Javanese, Balinese and people of Kalimantan.

Boyke is down to earth but believes that we all live in a complex dimension of life, where we reside, willingly or not, with plenty of unexplainable mysteries, like the concepts of the existence of ghosts, spirits, hell, heaven, the life after death and natural disasters.

He creatively unites all these complex perspectives into his paintings; to some, they might look bizarre and unconventional. As a graduate of a leading arts academy, Boyke is well versed in artistic technique of paintings and fully acquainted with all contemporary developments in arts.

Boyke dislikes being categorized in a particular painting style (some classify his works as decorative surrealism). Boyke always follows his heart in the process of painting; he devotes wholeheartedly his time, energy and inspiration in every work.

It takes him at least a month to finish one painting. Each painting bears his recognizable figures of various anomalous shapes of animals, vegetation, man and nature.

Boyke said he sought to remind people that we live in a mortal world and that we were on a temporary journey.

Each painting is invested with meaning. He emphasizes he can paint in any style, and that he can draw objects in more conventional shapes, but his current style is his identity and soul for today.

Sometimes he uses oil, and several of the displayed artworks are sketches made of ink on paper, but most of the time he chooses acrylic because it is more suitable to his taste and more adaptable in representing his ideas.

According to Boyke, acrylic is safer for human health. Chemically, oil is quite hazardous to our health if we inhale its vapor continually, particularly painters who use it as their main medium.

Boyke's paintings do not draw a perfunctory glance. A naturally curious person will surely stay for a while. See that the surface of the painting is neat and flat almost like a poster. Every inch of the canvas is crammed with intricate detail.

At the same time, feast on the richness of color and movement. Finally, emotional manipulations by our imagination and thought are drawn out.

Boyke said he did not paint to entertain anyone but himself. He never compromises to meet public demand, which explains why he never churns out "sweet" paintings for consumer demand. The result is that many of his works are too "heavy" to hang in ordinary living rooms. Despite its name, Dongeng Menjelang Tidur (Bedtime Story) is definitely not recommended for a slumber room.

Hendro Wiyanto, the curator of Millennium Gallery, agreed that some of Boyke's paintings would fit in private collections but others would be more appropriate in public spaces to reach a wider audience.

He said major buildings and museums were the best places for his works.

Although an admirer of painters Affandi and Widayat, Boyke's works are often put in the same elan as those of Nyoman Lempad and Made Wianta.

Boyke wants to underline through his works that human beings must lead a harmonious life with the beauty and purity of nature because it can be friend or foe, depending on people's actions.

His paintings have been displayed in Bali, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Brunei and major Indonesian cities. Boyke has also won several awards for his outstanding artistry, including several from biennial events. Among local artists, biennial events are considered a prestigious benchmark for assessing artists' prowess and excellence.

Jakartans can assess for themselves Boyke's artworks, most made in the 1980s and 1990s, until Jan. 20. He also plans to show his works in other cities and return to Yogyakarta, where he has a studio and exhibition space.