Inkling, R.E.M
2024 | acrylic on linen
Having a background in the field of Visual Communication Design at Jakarta Institute of the Arts (IKJ), Atreyu Moniaga (born in Pontianak, 1988) pays attention to the workings of symbols which according to him have deep narrative and story power. This desire triggers Moniaga to transform each of his works into a sincere expression born of thoughts and feelings, displaying a wealth of enchanting details and full of a magical touch. His works are also a reflection of the process of searching for and accepting himself.
Moniaga has expanded his creative horizons internationally, showcasing his work on the global stage in several collaborations with prominent figures, such as renowned fashion designer Sebastian Gunawan and Grammy Award-winning singer Jewel. Through Atreyu Moniaga Project, which was devised in 2014, he opened a space to nurture young artists in the fields of illustration and photography as a method to develop the diversity of their artistic expressions.
Not only active as an artist, Moniaga is also a photographer, an actor and a former teacher. In 2015, he also starred in a short film by Lucky Kuswandi entitled The Fox Exploits the Tiger's Might, which competed at 2015 Cannes Film Festival in Semaine de la Critique section.
Atreyu Moniaga's paintings depict a strange universe. The chaos of the canvas displays various surreal forms that resemble half-human figures, psychics, fairies: mutants who seem to live eternally in a mythical colony. His pop and illustrative painting style is influenced by various trends such as lowbrow, pop surrealist painting, manga, animation and the colorful design trends that are scattered throughout cyberspace. The motif of strangeness and change in surrealist paintings is implied in the style of his decorative paintings. Not infrequently, ideas for Atreyu's works also emerge from trending song lyrics.
Atreyu is interested in bringing back dreams that are often still believed to be prophecies, such as in the days of kings or prophets. He overhears stories about dreams originating from everyday conversations whose interpretations tend to be emotional, similar to gossip or superstition. People usually experience such dreams during a certain phase of sleep called R.E.M (Rapid Eye Movement), between sleep and wakefulness. Prophecy, wishful thinking, gossip, superstition, cults and spiritualist trends are mixed in Atreyu's paintings. A colony of imagination without taxonomy.
The relationship between everyday experience and dream interpretation is depicted as an inverted mirror. The cup-shaped composition in his paintings paradoxically represents a beautiful and a bad one that exists simultaneously. Likewise, a real event is often interpreted as a reversal of a dream. The forms are painted in bright pastel colors, conveying gloomy creatures and a melancholy or a sad atmosphere.