WELCOME TO 'TRACING CULTURE'
VIRTUAL SPACE
ARTISTS
SHIDDIQ MACHMUD
Shiddiq Machmud, the co-founder of DUĒ HATUĒ, is a tattoo artist from East Borneo, Indonesia, who is best known for his combination of surrealist and tribal patterned ink works. They bear influences from various parts of Indonesia whilst integrating Russian Jail tattoos, as he aims to harmonise different cultures together as one. Fusing animal-like figures with human faces, his work transcends beyond conventional approaches to art as a means to preserve Indonesian culture by merging the old with the new; the South-East with the West – all the while still maintaining the strong identity of his cultural heritage.
In his first group show with Cakravala, Shiddiq experiments with photography and adds a recurring effect to the Dayak Hudoq mask and Sumatran Suntiang crown. Echoing the stories of his tribe, the technique symbolises an unbroken chain of tales and tradition transported through time and place.
NOVA KUSUMA
Nova Kusuma is a collage artist from Bali who began exploring the medium as he watched his friends create collages and murals in empty buildings. His works are a touchstone to the things he observe throughout his daily life, drawing influences from music, sci-fi horror films, social politics and street culture to create multi-universes in paper form. By merging historical with contemporary worlds, Nova maintains to use analogue and primitive techniques throughout his practice, as his process lies in deconstructing what exists to recreate it into something new.
As a sentiment to his cultural tradition, Nova interweaves the process of Balinese ceremonies within his collages for ‘Tracing Culture’. He applies wool yarn and coconut leaf to old Balinese images as the postcard-size series are memorabilia of a timeless civilization.
FUAD MACHMUD
Along with his brother Shiddiq, Fuad Machmud is a tattoo artist from East Borneo, Indonesia, who started DUĒ HATUĒ – a Bali-based tattoo studio with a diverse team of 6 artists. His ability to work across various mediums has shaped his dynamic approach when creating an artwork. His distinctive style in photography, illustration and ink work shows the interconnection of all beings, as he is drawn to adapting to ideas and values outside of his own. Merging traditional Indonesian motifs with Mediterranean and Egyptian forms, Fuad’s work casts an ongoing dialogue between different cultures and traditions marked on the skin to form a collective approach in appreciating our roots.
This exhibition sees the artist give a two-dimensional perspective to his tattoo designs, as he recreates traditional ornaments to represent the cultural significance of Sumba, Palembang, Karo and Manggarai.