Opening Tumbuh Rimpang
November 29, 2024
AFTER 1200°
Gusti Dalem
Exhibition
Common Beauty II
Artist
Gusti Dalem
Written by
Krisna Sudharma
“After 1200°” signifies a major turning point in his creative journey, demonstrating an evolving dialogue with terracotta that pushes it beyond recognizable forms and towards the abstract
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Gusti Dalem (b. 1996), raised in a pottery-rich environment, brings both his heritage and formal education from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Denpasar into his contemporary ceramic practice, continually guiding his exploration of the terracotta medium. He has been known as a ceramic artist who explores beyond the material’s functional use in daily lives.
“After 1200°” signifies a major turning point in his creative journey, demonstrating an evolving dialogue with terracotta that pushes it beyond recognizable forms and towards the abstract. Initially, Gusti embraced the inherent properties of terracotta, such as its elasticity and traditional beauty. These qualities were harnessed to craft works of function and familiar form. However, as his perspective deepened, he began to explore the material’s potential for articulating less tangible concepts, presenting abstract ideas that allow for multiple interpretations.
In “After 1200°,” there is a departure from objectification towards an abstraction infused with an esoteric sense. Here, instead of creating a tangible object with defined purpose and shape, Gusti subjects terracotta to a formidable 1,200-degree Celsius blaze. He allows the fire—an external catalyst—to shape and transform the medium, resulting in an unexpected interplay of textures and forms.
This shift reflects Gusti’s growing acceptance of vulnerability in the artistic process. Through the vagaries of high-firing, he acknowledges an interdependence with external forces, surrendering control and entrusting the expression of his spatial concepts to the transformative aspect of fire. The resulting artwork captures his own vulnerability and mirrors the fundamental unpredictability of life and creation.
