Must See: For His New Solo Show, Indonesian Artist Agus Kama Loedin is Inspired by Different Tribal Ikat Designs - Arts & Culture

The artist’s “Akut Ikut Ikat” is currently on view at Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea in Makati.

For Agus Kama Loedin, design can be used in different ways and art can be appreciated by others. “My view in art and design is basically very related with the cultural background of the creator,” the Indonesian artist explains in his A’Design Award Competition profile.

READ ALSO: Creations For A Cause: These Works Of Art Will Go To Helping The Ultra-Poor In The Philippines

A veteran of exhibits in his home country Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the  visual artist is known for his masterful use of wires, lights, and fabric in his creative practice. 

This piece was inspired by the Ikat design of the Yakan Tribe in Basilan

His works make use of bamboo and rattan weaving techniques, as well as knot-tying methods used by boy scouts, to create dynamic works of art with lives of their own. The wires bend to Loedin’s will, transforming into lively and organic pieces that beckon the viewer to thoroughly examine them.

For his solo show at Makati’s Altro Mondo Creative Space this month, continue to explore this medium as well as the theme of movement, particularly of ideas. 

Created during the beginning of the pandemic, this series, titled “Akut Ikut Ikat,” investigates this theme by way of the ikat method. 

Patterns and ideas

Originating from Indonesia, ikat is a dyeing technique that is used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns. This is done before dyeing and weaving the actual fabric. The resist is formed by binding individual yarns with a tight wrapping applied in a pattern.

This design was also inspired by the design of Basilan’s Yakan Tribe

Loedin observed that the technique and the decorative symbols he studied during his research for the show had been utilized throughout various regions of the globe, with individuals modifying these techniques and symbols to fit their beliefs, cultures, and traditions. 

Thus, the practice highlights the power of movement and the nature of transformative ideas.

Both of these pieces are inspired by Ikat designs from West Borneo

The age-old craft and its corresponding imagery, which the artist creatively transforms yet again through his own aesthetic inclinations, values, and beliefs, now manifest in this exhibit. 

As a result, the artistry of ikat, which has moved through people and through time, arrives at this very moment today, by way of Loedin’s transformational work.

Akut Ikut Ikat will be on view at Altro Mondo Creative Space until October 24, 2021. Viewings are strictly by appointment only. For more information, you may also visit AltroMondo.com.ph.

Banner: Inspired by Banaue Ifugao Ikat design

Order your print copy of this month's LIFESTYLE ASIA Magazine:
Download this month's LIFESTYLE ASIA digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]