MAPPING THE SELF
Tommy Chandra's First Solo Exhibition
Curated by Lonica Dimmi
January 21 - February 24, 2024
Smiljan Space Bintaro
“There is nothing permanent except change” - Heraclitus
In Tommy Chandra’s solo exhibition, he takes us on a journey through life’s constant changes, capturing the essence of personal growth, the transformation of the body, and the flow of time. Life is a lot like navigating a river—full of twists and turns.
The exhibition consists of the eighteen digital illustrations transferred to physical form through digital print on fancy paper, Tommy Chandra’s expressive abstract illustration, dense with overlapping layers of interlaced networks of various objects, shapes, and colors. He rejects explicit meanings, and rather, invites the viewer to find their own interpretations. Tommy Chandra tries to explore his psychological state of mind and create compelling images that convey such emotions.
What makes this exhibit truly unique is the process behind it. Every artwork of the eighteen digital illustrations has been created using vectors, entirely without the use of 3D applications. This distinctive feature adds a touch of authenticity to each piece, showcasing not only aesthetically visual appeal but also the dedication and skill invested by the artist.
His artwork serves the viewer to have the dialog between the past, current, and the future, the transformation of Tommy Chandra’s early foundations that were deeply rooted in the structured world of blueprints, foundations, and architectural concepts to the boundless realm of digital illustration, and mapping his journey to make a sense of it. Each piece becomes a chapter in the narrative of transformation, offering a profound sense of connection between Tommy Chandra’s journey and the collective evolution of being a human.
Tommy Chandra eloquently states, “My work not merely revolves around my personal story but rather uses it as a trigger and a catalyst to create objects and spaces that encourage deep contemplation. Through them, I want to deal with the dichotomy inherent in the rejection and fear of transformation. In that spirit, I explore how extremities collide and more importantly how this collision ignites a change, thus opening a window of opportunity for something new to occur. I see my role as an Illustration artist with an architecture education background to open as many of these windows as I possibly can. My goal is to suggest and hopefully generate a shift in perspectives.”
THANK YOU!