Biography
Boedi Widjaja (b. 1975) was born in Surakarta, Java, Indonesia, and lives and works in Singapore. Trained in architecture, Widjaja provided graphic design consultancy to multi-national corporations for a decade before coming into full-time art practice.
For Widjaja, the world exists as a fractured construct that originates from his childhood experience of having to leave home due to ethnic tension, and coming to live in an alien city apart from his parents, moving four times among stranger-families in the first five years. Places became amorphous entities, existing as identities and fantasies, which he visits through the themes of *?!$Asia, Metropolis, Paradise, and Domus.
He approaches subjects from a critical proximity, exploring the pluralities in the individual, and his works are internally-charged, drawn from first-hand experiences. Widjaja’s artistic practices often include elements of liveness, action drawing, aleatoricism, and serialization.
Recent awards and commissions include: First Prize in the Land Transport Authority Art Competition for Beauty World Station (2012); Public art commission Asemic Text (2012); Recipient of Substation’s Visual Art Open Call (2012); Highly Commended Award at the 31st UOB Painting of the Year Competition (2012); Commission by the Yellow River Arts Centre for Yellow River Arts Centre logo (2012) and Sungai, Sejarah (2012); Finalist for Celeste Prize 2012 for Ian, Rem, Kal; and Grand Prize (Sound Arts) for Palimpsest - INSITU Fort Canning Hill at Bains Numeriques #7 in France (2012).
The last project was developed through INSITU.ASIA, an ongoing artist travelogue conceived by Widjaja in 2010. Together with artists from diverse disciplines and cultures, Widjaja visits poetic places in Asia to map them, and to make original works which are presented as performances, exhibitions and artists’ books. Two places have been artist-mapped to date - Fort Canning Hill, Singapore and Tenganan, Bali.
