Unlike many other artists who focus on working with one or two types of materials, Dery prefers to be flexible and keeps himself open-ended. He works with timber, metal, canvas, resin and many more. Also, unlike many other young artists who would actively promote themselves and their works on social media, Dery is relatively under the social media radar. A native of Padang, West Sumatra, Dery is currently based in Yogyakarta, studying at Faculty of Arts in Indonesia Art Institute (Institute Seni Indonesia – ISI).
Last year in 2016, with his work titled “Identitas” (Identity), he was awarded the Best Emerging Artist of BAKABA #5 ‘Cadiak Indak Mambuang Pandai’. For his first International event, he collaborated with 32 other Indonesian artists, 5 Lithuanian artists, and 5 guests of other international artists in Same Direction Indonesian Exhibition in Lithuania.
Dery started his foray into art quite early in high school. He considers art as his escape, and his path as an artist as “God-given”. His earlier masterpieces often present images about “infinity” of symbols. He explores transcendence of numbers by playing with shades and colours to express the boundlessness of dimensions. The narrative and dynamism of modernity is a major influence on his artworks. In fact, his creation for GAIA Art Movement is a protest to modernity based on his personal experience of being evicted from a space unfairly, despite having been given prior permission to use the space to install his artwork.
He creates a towering art of copper “pillows” made of ceramics and metal platings as a form of protest towards the uncontrolled growth of high-rise buildings in Yogyakarta. The seven-metre high artwork will be installed near the entrance of GAIA Cosmo Hotel, above the rooftop of the ground floor.
Through this work, he conveys his disdain towards spreading urbanisation of landscape that totally disregards the cultivation and preservation of local culture. Constant exposure to the sun and other natural elements of the weather will continuously season the copper plating and change the colour of his artwork, making it a “living” art. He says the exterior installation is a perfect opportunity to attract more people to his work.
