Budi Ubrux

*"The soul of the nationalism of the heroes is an inspiration that continues to live in my paintings"*

The artworks of Budi Ubrux are almost immediately recognizable; characterized by faceless
figures mummified in newsprint. The prevalent style of faceless mummy figures draped in newspaper connotes a social commentary on how our reality is shaped by what we read in the media, in particular newspapers.

Ubrux works dance around the theme of the struggle of political oppression, of ideologies
disappointment and the disenfranchisement of individuals. Ubrux meticulous hand painted
controversial headlines conveys his concern on media’s influence in manipulating truth by burying
facts under posh journalism word-smithing. Things ‘wrapped in paper’, which is a metaphor of
untruthful news coverage, disappear in the text; the real issues are dissolved and hidden by the
construction of polite and expert words until the facts are reduced to nothing.

Budi Haryono, better known as Ubrux, rose to fame when he created his iconic
language made with newspaper headlines, which he finely hand-copied covering the entirety
of his images on canvas to express poignant thoughts and comments. His oeuvre testify to an
enduring sense of nationalism, a never failing concern for the less fortunate in society and a
keen innovation of artistic expression.

Collection of Budi Ubrux - Painting