About the artwork
This sculpture by Adi Gunawan depicts two bulbous figures, one climbing a ladder and the other supporting it. The ladder is symbolic of the notion of progress, with each rung leading to an elevated level of achievement. However, through this charming work, Gunawan softly constructs meaning and skillfully illustrates that the journey to success does not have to be a solitary one, as the figure at the bottom generously supports his friend’s climb to the top.
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.