A native of Jambi, Central Sumatra, Dedy calls Yogyakarta his second home as he has been living between the two cities since childhood. Colossal, one of the largest visual art, design and culture blogs on the web, describes Dedy’s kinetic sculptures as “unusual” and “exquisitely detailed”.
Designwrld.com describes his work as “stunning” and “intricate”. What reviewers and curators found impressive is not just the amount of details in Dedy’s sculptures, but also the finesse in Dedy’s woodcraft, considering that he is only in his 20s. With the amount of kinetic sculptures he has completed and accolades won, many are surprised to learn that he just graduated as recently as 2015 from Indonesia Institute of Art Yogyakarta, Faculty of Fine Arts.
A winner of Indonesia Young Artist Award (2016), among other awards, Dedy is very much a self-starter. He learnt most of his woodwork knowledge on Youtube, from the basics of timber, to wood cutting, polishing, all the way to art display techniques. Through his kinetic art, Dedy wishes to challenge conventional opinions about kinetics. First, he does not equate “kinetics” to “technical”. The wonder and aesthetics of kinetic arts should not be defined by the quality of the technology that deliver the motion. Rather, Dedy uses kinetic arts to understand how human beings are fundamentally interested in motion and therefore, kinetic arts represent one of human being’s most basic nature. His perspective about kinetics naturally and rightfully influences how he sees machinery and mechanics. “Mechanics is aesthetics. (Championing) a change of function from ‘machinery for industry’ to ‘machinery for aesthetics’.” In using different types of timbers, Dedy wishes to represent the cultures from the different regions in Indonesia.
While most of his artworks are inspired by insects, it would be different for his commissioned work for GAIA Art Movement: Rooted in Art. It features the gentle elegance and beauty of the swan. Just like how his previous works incorporate small and hidden electronics (such as electric dynamo, ultrasound system, or ultrasonic sensor), these swan sculptures incorporate movement sensors that will set them into flight when someone walks by them.
These sculptures will enliven the second floor of GAIA Cosmo Hotel’s Semeja Asian Kitchen. Made completely with teak wood cut by using a simple scroll-saw machine, all parts of these sculptures are finished by polishing without using varnish. He believes teak wood is strong enough to withstand the temperature of the room, and will not attract termites. Through this masterpiece, Dedy continues his mission to advance that mechanics is valid as “a means for aesthetic progression.”
