Painting Childhood Memories with Superhero Robot Figures
Ruang Dini Gallery is hosting Achmad Toriq's debut solo painting exhibition, titled Marginalia Lipatan Waktu (Marginalia: Folds of Time).
At the Marginalia Lipatan Waktu (Marginalia: Folds of Time) solo exhibition, artist Achmad Toriq showcases over a dozen acrylic paintings at Ruang Dini Gallery in Bandung. Originally from East Java, Toriq transitions from paper sketches to canvas depicting robot superheroes that ignited his childhood joy. The vibrant robot figures like Shogun, Gundam, and Voltes, alongside iconic superheroes such as Robocop and the Mandalorian, are portrayed in the distinct style of children’s drawings.
Toriq recalls being captivated by televised robot cartoons during his upper elementary years in the 4th through 6th grades. This fascination spilled over onto his school notebooks, where he filled margin spaces with sketches of his robot idols and other cartoon characters. His drawings also drew inspiration from comics and posters, using pencils and ballpoint pens for outlines, then coloring with a set of twelve markers.
Since 2024, Toriq has translated these childhood memories onto canvas, crafting a textured surface resembling lined notebook paper that appears wavy, folded, and crumpled. This psychological record of his youth carries into adulthood, as shared in an interview with Tempo. Toriq's artwork stems from reflecting on what brought happiness to his life during childhood, specifically the 30-minute cartoon series he watched daily.
Missing a show meant losing a moment of happiness, a distinction from today’s easy re-watching options.
To revisit those cherished characters, Toriq re-watches animated series, reads relevant literature, and explores visual references of the childhood idols. Yet, his final choices remain deeply personal, guided by imagination and intuition. While no longer painting like his child self, Toriq strives to draw with the naivety of a child, acknowledging that his mind has been influenced by art knowledge gained during college.
He has already achieved national acclaim, winning top prizes in competitions like UOB Painting of the Year in 2013 and Best Work in 2016.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
