For Thinkspace Projects' third solo exhibition together, Indonesian artist Ryol has created a series of 12 paintings, ten of which see the artist re-imagining masterpieces from nine legendary artists. Through the lens of his distinctive style, this series of works explores the intersections between classical artistry and today's dynamic cultural landscape.
Ryol’s new works are quite different from his past works: in “Rain,” “Chupa Chups for You,” “Iced Tea,” “Half-Shredded Painting,” and “Man with a Parasol,” to name a few, he responded to popular culture products and phenomena. However, in some of his works in this new series, such as “Cats of Golconda,” we can experience both of these approaches when Magritte’s idea of human’s uniformity in 1953 meets Sanrio’s anthropomorphized animal characters, mainly the so-called Global Marketing Phenomenon, Hello Kitty.
Stealing Drinks From A Drunk Rockstar is a cheeky nod to what he does: a joyous act of challenging perceptions and definitions of good art – if not art itself – by representing a moment from the great masters and toasting to the unending contemporary artistic expression. Ryol creates new situations and therefore a new set of invoked feelings and meanings for not only familiar, but iconic works. Stealing Drinks From A Drunk Rockstar serves as a playful reminder that the boundaries of creativity are fluid, and the echoes of the past can find resonance in the beats of the contemporary. Here Ryol skillfully employs humor and irony to break down the barriers that separate centuries, inviting the audience to witness the timeless conversation between art forms.
