About the artwork
In "Cross", Gunawan juxtaposes the torture of Jesus Christ with the softness of the human form that he has exaggerated through his signature style of rounded bodies. By doing so, Gunawan underscores the suffering of Christ, heightening the intensity of the crucifixion by comparing it with the fragility and gentleness that his characteristic bulbous figures usually exhibit. The figure, just like Jesus during his crucifixion, dons a crown of thorns that stab into the figure's round, fluffy hair.
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.