KIRA (Black)

Roby Dwi Antono’s stylized portraits of wide-eyed children and mythological creatures recall the works of Pop surrealists Javier Calleja, Mark Ryden, and Yoshitomo Nara. Fusing fantastical imagery with classic Renaissance aesthetics, Antono draws upon themes of heroism, pop culture, and macabre humor to illuminate the contradictions of the human experience. In his painting Joy & Sorrow (2019), an innocent-looking young girl stands over a dead animal, holding its severed head behind her back. Antono’s work is extremely popular with collectors; his drawing Lonesome Hero #3 (2021) sold for a record $30,000 at Artsy’s “Art Keeps Nonprofits Going IV” benefit auction in 2021. Antono’s works have been exhibited in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Melbourne, and at Art Basel Hong Kong in 2021. Antono is a self-taught painter, illustrator, and sculptor, and has a background in graphic design.