“Ethnographica”

A new exhibition
by
ADAM RISH
in collaboration with
I Wayan Sumantra

OPENING: Saturday 1st December 3.00 – 6.00



Sydney artist and medico Adam Rish, well known for his 'world art' collaborations, has a new exhibition, “Ethnographica”, at Michael Nagy.

On show are life-size wooden sculptures made in collaboration with I Wayan Sumantra in Jungjungan, Bali.

The exhibition is based upon traditional carving from Southeast Asia and, more specifically, tau-tau spirit figures from Sulawesi and horse sculptures from West Timor.

Rish has anamorphosed these images with his contemporary domestic iconography: In “My Kingdom for a Horse” the horse is riding backwards on the back of a blind king. “Totem”, based upon an Asmat house pole, shows a stack of cars, phones, houses and soldiers surmounted by winged AK47s and a little king. “Noah” has a man in a suit walking his boat over dry land while “Banci” shows a two headed hermaphrodite. “Etiket/Etiquette” is a glass coffee table supported by a kneeling figure with a carrot in his rectum. “Bidadari Jatuh/Fallen Angel” has a dunce capped angel in the corner on his mobile phone.

Also included in the show are the original sculpture designs on Tongan tapa cloth.

Traditionally tau-tau sculptures were used in ceremonial burials to represent the deceased in the after-life.

Rish says he doubts many of his collectors will be doing this with these pieces but, in our super-functional society, is sure they will make very fine garden furniture.

The exhibition runs from 29 November until 15 December




Michael Nagy Fine Art is a member of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association. The A.C.G.A maintains ethical standards for commercial galleries, whose main business is the representation of living Australian artists.

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