Marcelo Suaznabar | Solo Exhibition : Imagenary Creture 25. 05. 17. – 06. 15

🗓️ Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17, 4–6PM

🏛️ Venue: THEO Jakarta

📍 Address: Ranuza Building, 2nd Floor

      Jl. Timor No. 10, Gondangdia, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat

 ? inquiries:

Maria Stella Gracia | +62 852-8003-3114 | director@gallerytheo.com

  🎉 THEO Jakarta warmly invites you to the opening of its long-anticipated new space in Indonesia with the debut exhibition Imaginary Creatures by Bolivian artist Marcelo Suaznabar.

THEO Jakarta is honored to present Imaginary Creatures, a solo exhibition by Marcelo Suaznabar, marking the artist’s first presentation in Indonesia.

Renowned for his symbolic and surrealist imagery, Suaznabar conjures hybrid beings that are at once tender and grotesque, imaginative and disquieting. Drawing inspiration from Andean folklore, Catholic iconography, environmental anxieties, and personal memory, his works offer a dreamlike realm where the boundary between the real and the unreal begins to dissolve.

Following his previous collaboration with THEO in Seoul, this Jakarta exhibition showcases an intimate constellation of small-scale portraits and fantastical figures that reflect Suaznabar’s meticulous technique and richly developed inner mythology.

With this inaugural presentation, THEO is proud to introduce Suaznabar’s distinctive artistic universe to Southeast Asia—where the language of dreams, creatures, and the subconscious finds resonance across cultures.

In an interview, Marcelo reflected on how his artistic journey began with the guidance of his photographer uncle in Oruro, Bolivia. “When I was young, my uncle taught me that progress comes from daily discipline. He once gave me a box of oil paints from Belgium, saying I could use them when I was ready,” Marcelo recalls. “His greatest lesson was to observe the world carefully and translate it onto paper without fear. He made it clear that patience and discipline are essential tools for artistic growth.”

Marcelo views his practice as a balance between sharp environmental observation and learned technique. While automatisme may appear devoid of rules or logic, he believes that true art transcends such constraints, offering protection to the images born beyond structure.

Marcelo’s work reveals a remarkable interplay between imagination, nature, and the human condition. His lines defy convention—seemingly unstructured yet visually captivating. The surrealism that permeates his paintings challenges us to reorient our perceptions and invites close interpretation of every detail.

“Surrealism allows thoughts to move freely and gives them a vivid, artistic form,” he explains. “It’s not about painting dreams, but rather creating surreal forms as pure products of the imagination.”

Marcelo’s work uses elements of nature to tell stories that go beyond what is visible. His paintings construct new realities, playing with perception and challenging clarity through an imagination that surpasses rational thought.

“There are recurring elements in my paintings that represent the mixed nature of the contemporary world,” he explains. “Flat, barren surfaces recall the origins of the Bolivian Altiplano, while abstract backgrounds and invented forms suggest transformation. Mutated animals, eggs bearing barcodes, clocks, and cubes—all attempt to transmit something from the unconscious.”

Marcelo’s art serves as a striking social statement, exploring what it means to be human through forms that seem not to exist. His playful irony disorients the viewer’s sense of purpose, inviting close attention to every detail within the work.