Anna Santoso

“I am not what I am, I am what I do with my hands” – Louise Bourgeois

The focus of my work is the conflicting nature of the ego, shaped by object cathexes involving people, objects and environment. As we mature our psyche filters these cathexes, forming the ego. Consequentially the id, our behaviour, will change as well.

I explore this idea through the projection of self, using deconstruction and reconstruction of materials and forms, portraying the flux of my ego, id and mind. Impressions on the painting’s surface record my movements, mimicking form, resulting in fragmented figures.

I see these forms as monstrous, extensions of myself that feel disregarded by others. They’re an object cathexis of mine and a form of self-expression. The disfigured bodies mirror my emotions, opinions and relationships. The intensity of colour combined with dynamic imagery creates a chaotic field that further alludes to these conditions of life.