About the artwork
Adi Gunawan addresses the relationship between humans and animals, often in a humorous and endearing manner. In ‘Kasih Sayang #3,’ a woman and a pig gaze lovingly at each other while the pig leans on her for rest. He comments on how docile pigs can be animals that command affection instead of distaste, despite their filthy conditions.
About the artist
Adi was born in Yogyakarta in 1974, Indonesia and received his education at Institut Seni Indonesia, Yogyakarta. In his symbolic sculptures, Adi invokes euphoria and the significance of animals in his work due to his cultural background of growing up in an agrarian society. He uses his cultural positioning as a tool to visualize motions, gestures, characters and expressions of various subjects that he sculpts. He then conveys constructed meaning which, in and through his forms, figures and compositions, puts forth the issue of a mystical relationship between animals and humans. Adi’s highest accolade thus far was representing Indonesia at the Beijing Olympics 2008 Fine Arts Exhibition, where he was bestowed the further honor of an Olympic Torch Award. His sculpture toured Hong Kong, the United States, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland and many other countries.