Steel Life: Miky Endro at Kami Patung Ada

Stanislaus Joshua , 18 Jul 2023

Let’s visit our neighboring campus! In June and July of 2023, the Soemardja Gallery at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) displays a number of sculptures at the Kami Patung Ada exhibition. The exhibition features 9 alumni of the Sculpture Studio at ITB. One of them is Miky Endro Santoso, a lecturer at Maranatha Christian University’s Interior Design program.

Even though sculpture is a major offered by several universities across Indonesia, there are only a handful of artists who choose to work in this field. Miky thought the techniques taught in sculpture programs were considerably tough to master, ranging from using the tools to handling hard materials. This may be one of the reasons why there were rarely any students interested in studying at the Sculpture Studio.

“At that time, my class was said to have the most students. Even so, there were only 8 people in it,” said Miky, an alumnus from the class of 1993.

Additionally, Miky argued that working as a professional sculptor in Indonesia is quite a challenge.

“[The challenge] comes from outside and within us. The one from the outside is that, sometimes, people’s appreciation towards sculptures is not as widespread as it is to 2-dimensional art forms, such as paintings.” This lack of appreciation leads to an internal conflict within the artists’ minds: “Some of the sculptors found their motivation diminishing. Consequently, they have run off to other forms of 3-dimensional art. For example, some of them have gone to making furniture, handicraft, or similar works,” Miky explained.

Even so, Miky still held some optimism for the future of Indonesian sculpture. He believed that exhibitions such as Kami Patung Ada could foster a more positive attitude towards the trade.

“The creation and appreciation of such artworks at public spaces will increase the interest of younger generations towards the art of sculpting.” Miky also hoped for the government’s support by providing galleries, exhibitions, awards, and education related to 3-dimensional art.

Two of his statues on display at Soemardja Gallery are a part of Miky’s efforts always to create something new. The usage of stainless steel rods in sculpting is relatively rare, so Miky’s work can be considered experimental.

“There are some Indonesian sculptors who have used stainless steel plates. However, organic 3-dimensional sculptures made from stainless steel rods are still hard to find. Because of its rarity, I made these projects as experiments for my research.”

The uniqueness of Miky’s pieces lies in the contrast between the characteristics of the subjects and the material: he tried to depict the dynamics of living creatures with steel, which is known for its toughness and rigidity.

“The Soul of Kawung” (2019) was inspired by the oval shape of palm fruits (known in Sundanese as “kawung”). The Soul of Kawung contains two messages: humans have to be useful to those around them, like a palm tree, and they must be strong enough to be forged, like steel.

“Traces of My Work Creation Process” (2023) captures the waves and curves of a betta fish.

“Despite its small size, the aesthetics of a betta fish is quite profound, especially on its fins … They’re so beautiful when they move through the water,” Miky told. The allure of a betta’s fins proved to be the greatest challenge of this project: Miky had to shape a stiff material into a soft, svelte, and willowy form. Through several steps of its creation–cutting, welding, grinding, and polishing–Miky learnt to appreciate processes to get a good result.