Guardian Galaxy

Suanjaya Kencut

December 05, 2023 – December 10, 2023

GR Gallery

Context Art, Miami 

A series of exploration works from Suanjaya about different perspectives of a superhero. Most of the super hero characters are depicted as stocky, strong, and dashing. He wondered if he, when was little, could become a superhero? He didn’t have the stocky, strong or manly body like he saw every day on the television. However, he still fantasizes about becoming a SuperHero by wearing a fabric like cloak and imagining that the cloak will make him fly up into the sky through the clouds. There are also many cartoons that tell about alien monsters that descend to earth and become enemies that need to be exterminated. All that he sees raises so many questions about aliens being enemies of humans and means there is life outside the earth. This means that they also have superHeroes in outer space and what they look like? Is it scary like a Dinosaur monster or cute like Mickey mouse?

The Villain, 130cm x 100cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

This childhood question seems silly but it’s fun when we think back on it. This question seems unreasonable, but sci-fi genre films are loved by almost all circles. Also so many enthusiasts for action figures of superheroes gives certainty that these childhood fantasies are not only short-term fantasies and also are experienced by many people of the same age. This made Suanjaya dare to bring his childhood fantasies into some of the works that displayed in this exhibition. He fantasizes that superheroes don’t only exist in the human world. But it also exists in other parts of the universe and their look isn’t as scary as the aliens or monsters that he often sees on television cartoons before going to school or on weekends.

The Captain, 110cm x 100cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

 Suanjaya made his own planet. Inhabited by creatures that have radar shaped like ears,  used for communicating with each other, as well as connecting with living things on other planets between galaxies. He described how they can walk in the air, swarm with each other like a social community and the difference of color indicates they are different person.Their people also have a superhero with a more complete stature. Like the “Guardian Galaxy” who has super powers to protect from enemy attacks. Suanjaya also makes the superhero have a cloak like his childhood fantasy, which really wants to fly using the cloak behind it. With the existence of superheroes there are also several enemies as depicted in the painting “The Villain”. He tells us that the win of an enemy must have happened because enemies and superheroes have almost the same strength. But in the end, “The Captain” as leader of the community managed to save his people from the wrath of the Villain. Even a superhero feels tired and needs to recharge his energy “Take a Break” so he can prepare and fight crime in the future.

Take a Break, 100cm x 110cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Take a Break, 100cm x 110cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Connection Series #1, 150cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Connection Series #2, 150cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Connection Series #3, 150cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Connection Series #5, 150cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023

Connection Series #4, 150cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2023