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About the artwork
The relationship between human beings is assessed in this work, where a figure scales the heights of a monumental ladder, reaching for an unseen object of desire. Below him, another figure supports the base of the ladder, their strength the only thing keeping the precariously perched individual from toppling. The nakedness of the climbing figure contrasted against the clothed, basal figure further suggests the vulnerability and dependence we have on each other and the necessity of teamwork in order to reach greater heights. Here, Gunawan seeks to remind his audience of human fragility and the importance of kindness on earth.
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.