Soulful Distortion
IndonesIan artIst MuhaMMad taufIq chats wIth daMan about hIs phIlosophy of art
Muhammad eMTe” Taufiq was one of the artists participating at the Art Jakarta fair last month. But before that, his works had been prominently featured in over more than 50 exhibitions, some of them overseas, such as in the Dataran Underground in Kuala Lumpur and at the Singapore Contemporary art show. Apart from exhibitions, Taufiq has also collaborated with several fashion brands, including Patrick Owen and, most recently, Giordano.
DA MAN: How would you describe your style of art? Muhammad Taufiq:
That’s a tricky question. Since I rarely give a fuss about my style of drawing, I’m used to draw with a lot of different characters and styles because I think it makes it more fun. Mostly, I would say that my style is semi-realist, because I often draw objects from daily life. Other times, I also tend to draw cartoons and comics.
DA: What is your main source of inspiration? MT:
Mostly from what I see every day. From a pile of dishes in the sink, drying clothes, broken buildings and public transportation to people’s activities. Occasionally, I also get my inspiration from movies, traveling, books, comics and magazines.
DA: Out of all your works, which would be the most memorable for you? MT:
This is also a difficult question. [ Laughs] To be honest, I am always confused when I am asked this because every piece of my work is its own singularity. But, I would say that the most memorable work I ever made was for my first exhibition titled “Soft Violence” in Bandung back in 2014. The title was “The Lost Supper” and it was there that I started to distort the paintings that I’ve done before. It became a kind of personal statement about the tendencies that often occurs in me when I am working.
DA: How big is the role of social media for artists in this Instagram era? MT:
It cannot be denied. The growth of technology, especially social media, plays a huge part for anybody, no matter which profession they’re in. Social media has allowed us to push past the boundaries of time and space, widening the network in a short period of time. Many new artists who just started their careers found social media platforms to be very helpful.
DA: Seeing the art scene today, how much do you think does society appreciate the works of Indonesian artists? MT:
Today, there are many works by Indonesian artists that have been internationally recognized; some of their works have even have ventured to international events. Truly, this is a proud moment for us, and this shows that Indonesian artists too possess a virtue that allows them to become strong contenders in the eyes of the world. Many of the young generation today are also choosing to pursue a career in art. The frequent art events that are held nowadays also improve the buzz of the art scene.