The journey no. 4 1994

Having trained in both Yogyakarta and New York, Anusapati draws on both Javanese and Western conceptions of sculpture. He maintains a strong ecological sensibility, preferring to craft his works from found rather than freshly cut wood. Using simple tools, these sculptures of objects from Javanese village life are characteristically ‘unfinished’, with gaps and defects in their materials clearly visible: The journey no. 4 resembles the shape of catamaran hull – a vehicle for fishing as well as transport – pierced by spear-like sticks; while the corrugated surface of Object no. 6 can be read as both a durian hanging from a branch and a hand grenade with an outsized pin. The ambiguity in these works is intentional, suggesting the tensions inherent in the pace of modernisation as it affects both the natural world and lifestyles of local communities.