Aditya Novali

Aditya Novali (born 1978, in Solo) obtained his bachelor's degree in architecture from the Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung. He has held several solo exhibitions in painting and mixed media arts. Some of his solo exhibitions are: “Art Portable” at the CP Artspace, Jakarta (2004); “View on Woman,” at the Linggar Gallery, Jakarta (1997); and “Transition,” at the Bentara Budaya, Jakarta (1995). Some of the joint-exhibitions that he partook are “Exodus,” at the Nadi Gallery, Jakarta (2005); CP Open Biennale at the National Gallery, Jakarta (2003); “Implotion,” at the Expatriat Gallery, Jakarta (2003); “Fragmen,” at the Kembang Gallery, Jakarta (2000), and “Bandung Young Artists' Exhibition,” at the Griya Seni Popo Iskandar. In 2002, he was selected as one of the finalists of the Indofood Art Award 2002, and in 1999 as one of the finalists in the Indonesia Art Award.

Happy land represents one of the many urban phenomena of today: a search for heaven. Heaven no longer means strictly an after-death “place.” The complex urban life, especially in the big cities, results in many “creative” thoughts about heaven. Heaven as an unidentifiable situation is sometimes thought of as a psychological space filled with happiness, peace, and comfort—states that are getting increasingly difficult to attain today and therefore lie at the root of the search.

The urbanite tends to act instantly and starts to create his or her own heaven. There appears a wish that human can experience the heavenly phase without having been dead first. In creating their heavens, human beings no longer focus merely on discourses, but also in physical spaces. Formal religious places start to compete with alternative spiritual areas—even with shopping centers, which are considered as providing instant happiness. The calmness that is generally linked with the silence in meditative spaces now finds new partners whose characteristics are extremely different: the cacophony of the public spaces. Success, power, and money define someone's happiness. Human beings work increasingly harder to safeguard their physical beings from the various criminal threats, but sometimes put the safety of the soul in the back seat. (Artist's Statement)

<< Featured Works List | back to top