Alexander Sebastianus Indonesian, b. 1995
Particle of From #16, 2024
Batik on archived photograph on cotton
100 x 100 cm
The body or 'being' is also composed of particles—a multitude of temporal measures, images, shapes, and colors of memory held within our souls, as well as possessions and heirlooms that...
The body or 'being' is also composed of particles—a multitude of temporal measures, images, shapes, and colors of memory held within our souls, as well as possessions and heirlooms that define us and our origins, passed down through generations. Sebastianus honors this lineage by integrating two generational methods of image-making: photographic print and batik, the Javanese wax-resist dye technique. These works, described by the artist as 'studies,' explore the shape of 'being,' its various layers, and its constitution. Pixelated image-particles, representing memories and belongings, are imprinted on cloth and covered with wax, before the cloth is dipped into dye. This batik process serves as a fitting metaphor for revelation, as the wax preserves the initial image imprinted onto the fabric, resisting the dye that otherwise envelops the rest of the textile in darkness.