Sisi (Mental series)

Handiwirman's experience with creating three-dimensional works has put him in good stead, other than giving his two-dimensional paintings a more tactile quality, he has stripped these materials of their referential context and gifting new perspective to these objects found in his works. This creative philosophy has proven to be provocative and engaged many who have seen his work, and his counterparts from the Kelompok Seni Rupa Jendela group (literally translated to be 'Window Art Collective'), in eager discussion. Their exhibition Membuka Kemungkinan (Opening Possibilities) in 2000 was hotly debated by the arts community. 'In short, the works were considered decadent for their facts of deficiency in aesthetic values, and at the same time, deviating out of the socio-political representation, which at that time became the mainstream tendency in Indonesian art practice.' (Agung Hujatnikajennong, 'The Spectre in a Painting' in Apa-apanya dong?, Nadi Gallery, Jakarta, 2004, exhibition catalogue, p. 24.) This distinction from other 'mainstream' artists has been advantageous for Handiwirman, his style injecting a fresh perspective in the contemporary visual aesthetic. His use of regular everyday materials including cotton, human hair, plastic wrap, wood etc., sees him repositioning the role of the material in a manner contrary to convention in his works. This unusual reading of materials is perhaps indicative of his likewise unique work method. He thinks more in pictures rather than in words, using this mental visual to map out the meaning of his work. His titles too are meant to challenge the viewer's perception of the work, often misleading rather than leading the viewer's interpretation of the work. This motive encourages the viewer to decide independently the relevance of the work to him/her.

Handiwirman is invited to participate in the first Singapore biennale 06 (2006) for which he created a series of 5 paintings, measuring 180 x 180 cm each. Titled Salon #2, the work is hung at the City Hall venue in the biennale. Rifky Effendy aptly sums up the significance of the artist for the Indonesian contemporary art scene "In the map of contemporary art development in Indonesia, his works have contributed a different shade of colour, especially in the post-reformasi era, when most artwork is tightly connected to the social and political discourse. The artworks depict a symptom of tradition, caught between the collective value of a society - which has lost its belief in such value - and the individual belief in fighting for such values. By poeticizing the everyday, he reflects a constantly shifting world." (Singapore Biennale 06 catalogue belief, Rifky Effendy, "Saputra, Handiwirman - Salon #2, 2006", Ben Slater edit., Singapore, 2006, p. 108)