Handiwirman Saputra draws on a wide range of materials and substances to simulate the textures and appearance of everyday objects. With a particular interest in representing unusual perspectives to consider common forms, he explores possibilities of shape, texture and plasticity, while questioning how objects interact with each other and the space around them. For example, he probes the ductility of an elastic band, drawing out its enormous capacity for changing shape and adapting to other objects.

The artist is a co-founder and member of the Jendela Art Group, a collective of five graduates from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, who each originally hailed from West Sumatra. Saputra’s approach is inspired by linguistic and cultural concepts drawn from the linguistic roots of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, including the phrase ‘dalam tampak luar — luar tampak dalam’ (‘inside looking out — outside looking in’), which has prompted him to consider interior and exterior forms at the same time. In its expressive abstraction, Saputra has developed a style that is strikingly different to other forms of contemporary art in Indonesia.