Indonesian painter I Nyoman Masriadi's paintings often portray bionic figures, richly laden with references to his personal life, contemporary life at large and global cultural history. Conveyed through his paintings are some of the wittiest and most biting commentary on society and the individual in contemporary Asian painting. Masriadi's ability to control light, shadow and volume bestows these prodigious characters with a sculptural, almost three-dimensional presence, yet, they are simply powerfully built men and women engaged in misanthropic acts of strength or captured in private moments of susceptibility. His paintings are no mere cipher: they are essentially moment of genuine emotions immortalised on canvas.
In Banana King (Lot 2364), we note Masriadi's obsession with the male physique, the bulging muscles, a depiction of masculinity where men are seen as providers who must protect women and their biological offspring by providing them with food and shelter by taking risks and being aggressive. The man's teeth, depicting the motion of plunging his teeth into the banana, interestingly are the body's hardest, most durable organ and seem to suggest some sort of raw, animalistic emotion. The painted figure's contentment is that of a labourer who has toiled endlessly, and is reaping and feasting on the rich spoils of the harvest. In depicting the banana, raw and huge, Masriadi portrays the economic benefits which the simple fruit has contributed to Indonesia. He also implies that this fruit gives one an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy, improving one's mood and generally increasing a person's wellbeing and happiness.