Organized by SEA Junction, the painting exhibition “Universe of Colors” by Erica Hestu Wahyuni was run from 29 November to 11 December 2022 on the curved wall, 4th floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). The exhibition included her newly created pieces as well as her recently exhibited pieces as part of the Bridge of Colors: Indonesian Painting Exhibition at the National Gallery of Thailand.

Typically, Erica depicts her experiences in scenes with main characters in extremely busy environments. The theme of her painting is about a happy journey to enjoy the universe and how the harmony of the universe. Its contents greatly determine human survival. The painting tells the story of parts of Indonesian heritage. There are also mangroves, elephants, trees, and the island of Bali. She takes an interest in the scenes’ surroundings, painting them with great detail. Erica animates the objects in the surroundings to make them become part and parcel of the subject matter of the work.

Erica’s naive, playful renditions have ascertained her reputation as one of the most sought-after contemporary artists in Southeast Asia. Each work contains interesting narrative qualities, which reveal the worldview of the artist.

Photo by Kelly Khin, Lattoporl and Rosalia Sciortino