EKO NUGROHO

“We Are What We Mask” calls us to do a double take on the world – the same way people did when they saw STPI’s workshop and gallery staff appearing on the streets wearing these decorative masks resulting in some absurd situations as witnessed in the large photographs produced for the show.

Influenced by Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling masks, early Islamic head-dress and biohazard protective headgear, these masks are bold and vibrant but underline the dysfunctions of human nature through the concept of concealment or disguise.

Eko’s art has gained wide appeal for its easy accessibility given his comic- and graffiti-inspired iconography. His participation at major international shows this year include, Sakti:Indonesian Pavilion, Venice Biennale, Writings Without Borders, Lehmann Maupin, Hong Kong, and the 2013 California-Pacific Triennial, curated by Chief Curator Dan Cameron at Orange County Museum of Art, California. He was also commissioned to design a scarf for Louis Vuitton’s Foulards D’Artistes Autumn Winter 2013 collection.

Other notable exhibitions and projects include Fantasy Islands, Louis Vuitton Island Maison, Singapore (2012), Témoin Hybride, the Museum of Modern Art, Paris (2012), a mural project with Le M.U.R Association at 107 Rue Oberkampf, Paris (2012), Transfiguration – Indonesian Mythologies, Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, Paris (2011), The Eko Chamber: Recent Works, The Art Gallery of South Australia (2011), and Snobs Behind Ketchup, Lombard-Freid Projects, New York (2011).

His works can be found in the collections of Singapore Art Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide, Queensland Art Gallery, Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris, Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, and the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation. The list also includes renowned Indonesian collectors Oei Hong Djien and Budi Tek.