Like most other contemporary artists, S Teddy D creates his works out of various media and materials. This has to do with his penchant for seeking and trying out new materials and techniques. Sometimes he creates his works all by himself, other times he works together with artisans. Teddy frequently finds inspirations from the myriad possibilities that the materials present; possibilities that often do not cross the minds of other Indonesian artists. Teddy's imaginative explorations are indeed wild and unpredictable, as is obvious in the works he has so far created.

Teddy's productivity in creating his works has been well provided for by his imaginative thoughts and his playful tendencies. Teddy's spirit to make manifest every single opinion of his has made him highly productive - a rare instance among young Indonesian artists, especially when we think about his intensity in trying out many new possibilities and techniques.

His work, Keluar Masuk (Going Inside - Outside, 2003), made of a pair of swords that becomes his personal symbol, demonstrates Teddy's ability and mastery in creating his works. Beyond his personal intentions, those swords articulate the fundamental issues of cultural differences. The traditional Javanese scripts Teddy inscribes in his works suggest how the assumption of homogeneous culture finds its limited meaning through language. Regarding the dominant Javanese cultural values implemented in myth of the "Indonesian national culture," this work strongly urges the existence of some cultural interpellations of sorts within the dominant cultural values.Even though he creates many three-dimensional and installation works, his two-dimensional works - whether drawings or paintings - are also strong. His painting, Sejarah adalah Mimpi Buruk Bagi yang Hidup (History is a Nightmare for The Living, 2003) is one of the examples. Apparently for Teddy, painting is not only about his personal expressions, but also about his thoughts - a kind of intellectual release. For Teddy, therefore, painting is not merely about the efforts to compose visual constructions, but also about his attempts to act on and change the surrounding realities - whether it is about trivialities or about grand matters. Through his paintings, Teddy is bargaining with reality, or refusing it if needs be. There is no denying the fact that Teddy's paintings are like composed entries of a personal diary, added with imaginations and personal thoughts - both additions are important elements in the creation of the works as the artist's existence lies precisely there. Teddy's works appear smart and imaginative at the same time.

Asmudjo Jono Irianto, Rizki A. Zaelani

Born on August 25, 1970 in Padang.
Studied at Indonesia Institute of The Arts (ISI), Yogyakarta (1992).

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998 Cemeti Art Gallery, Yogyakarta, "House".
1999 Kedai Kebun, Yogyakarta, "Gambarsari".
2000 Essence Art Gallery, Jakarta.
2002 Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta, "Metallic Shit".

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1998 "Crossing the Borders", Galleria Jangva, Helsinki, Finlandia.
1999 Third Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia.
2000 "Where Abouts", Stichting Zet, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; "AWAS! Recent Art from Indonesia", Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan.
2001 Osaka Triennale, Osaka Culture Foundation, Japan; "Not I, am I", Circle Point Gallery, Washington DC.
2002 "Under Construction" Japan Foundation - Tokyo Opera City, Japan; "Together", City Mural Project Paintings, Layang Bridge, Lempuyangan, Yogyakarta.

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