VALENTINE WILLIE FINE ART is pleased to present Stefan Buana’s first solo exhibition in Singapore, ‘WAKE UP!’. Stefan is one of Jogjakarta’s more distinctive and innovative contemporary artists.

Shunning the brash pop art of his younger artist friends, he makes no apologies for his distinctive somber symbolism. For Stefan, inspiration come from the very real problems of the many friends he has at home in West Sumatra who are less fortunate than him and have fallen on hard times.

While Stefan brims with confidence for the human spirit, as reflected in the strong line and dynamic spirit of his images, the paintings nevertheless betrays a healthy grip on reality. Many of the works reflect the current political climate as Indonesia’s vibrant new democracy faces an election this year.

As well as people, Stefan is always conscious of symbols, drawing for the most part on the animal world for inspiration. The elephant, the horse, the majestic hammerhead shark, all reflect what Stefan describes as ‘the context of my current existence’. He takes basic materials like rice, sawdust and string to bring relief to images that he conjures up in dark, shadowy forms with sparse use of colour.

Stefan’s paintings present Indonesia at crossroads, straddling between modernity and tradition. This diverse and strident commentary makes Stefan Buana one of the quintessential Indonesian painters of his times.