Suanjaya Kencut is one of the leading artists in Yogyakarta who built his own world of iconic works with stuffed toy characters as a motif. The attractive elements of Kencut’s work, the doll’s costumes with colorful colors and various patterns, are also very similar to the decorations of the Bali temple, the artist’s hometown, or the traditional costumes with colorful and beautiful patterns. And the doll character wearing the costume is expressed in various movements according to the story contained in each work based on common elements such as delicately described fluffy hair and large button eyes. The artist says that the scene in the work is not a visualization of a specific person, but one of the images that came to mind as a child.

Memories of childhood where dreams and reality are not clearly separated, such as sleeping on one’s knees, dreaming of becoming Superman and flying in the sky, or picking sunflowers in the garden. The artist goes on a journey to meet the ‘inner child’ and suggests that the audience also look for the inner child. The artist explained the title of this exhibition, ‘Inner Child’, as follows. “The various emotions you feel in your life are those of the past that are re expressed through external stimuli. The important thing at this time is to let the inner child that harbors those emotions share them with the world without hiding them.

Discover your inner child, connect with the outside world, and listen to is story. “Suanjaya Kencut’s stuffed toy characters seem to have a variety of emotions experienced in their lives, but the artist added that he wants the dolls in his work to be expressionless. It may be his intention to leave interpretation to the audience. Let’s face the inner child drawn by this youn and fresh Indonesian artist visiting Korea and reflect our emotions there. N

In the ‘A Thousand Star’ series, I can feel the gentle sensibility of the author. Can you tell us about your working process?

In Yogyakarta, where I currently live, there are various street art such as murals and graffiti. I thought the works I drew on the road were too beautiful to display for a short period of time. If street art tries to create as realistic a work as possible with the spray technique, I wanted to present a soft work without borders by using the property of the spray material. The process of adjusting the pressure and emotion of the fingers, choosing colors, and building them up as a single layer keeps me researching the technique. The series name ‘A Thousand Star’ means the sea where my favorite

stars are reflected. In this painting, the twinkling star-like dots represent the elements of the vast universe in Hinduism: earth (pertiwi), water (apa), air (vayu), fire (teja), and space (akasa).

Please introduce Bali, your hometown and source of inspiration.

Bali is an island with very complex traditional rituals. It is a treasure trove of art created through the interconnection of history, traditional culture and religion. Among them, the most common one I encountered was the ritual of making regular sacrifices to the gods. The ritual has a deep meaning, such as harmony between life and the universe. The concept of religion permeates Balinese culture itself and shapes the lifestyle of the community. Meanwhile, the flowers that often appear in my work represent the purest offerings in Bali and represent beauty, harmony and happiness. It also symbolizes the energy that everyone radiates and the energy of nature that surrounds us.

What do you think is the most important thing in your work, and what is the driving force?

I think the most important thing is the unity that allows the completed work to look harmonious and beautiful through the lengthy process of starting from the concept of the idea, determining the appropriate location and size, transferring the sketch to the canvas, and selecting the color. Art is a medium through which I can tell my story and share my ancestral rites and experiences with the world. When I think of the moment when many people enjoy my work, the whole process of making it makes me happy. In the end, I think the satisfaction I feel as an artist is the driving force behind my work.

In July, the artist’s first solo exhibition in Korea, 〈Inner Child〉, will be held at the Noblesse Collection. What does the exhibition title ‘Inner Child’ mean? Also, please tell us about your thoughts on holding the exhibition.

Childhood memories remain in the unconscious and affect our present life. Good memories have a positive impact, and negative memories leave scars forever if not healed. Depending on how you respond, this can either hinder or help your personal growth. Through this exhibition <Inner Child>, I hope that the audience will have time to take out the child deeply seated inside and face it and listen to all the stories about pain, such as fear, sadness, and anxiety that the child experienced. I will be visiting Korea for the first time for this exhibition, and I have always been curious about the beauty of Korea. I look forward to new sources of inspiration and responses from Korean art lovers to my work in the city of Seoul.

Inner Child show with Noblesse Collection