VLAB is pleased to present the solo exhibition “All you have to do is dream'' featuring new works by Elang Sutajaya that have never been shown before in an exhibition. The presentation also marks the artist's first exhibition with the gallery in Madrid.

Elang Sutajaya (Yogyakarta, 1987) is an Indonesian artist who can be described as a visual storyteller. The artist grew up with pop culture influence, such as cartoons, as can be appreciated in his anthropomorphic aviator rabbits, the protagonists of the artist's paintings. With these cartoon characters, Elang's wish is to show how the playful environment of the children's world can inspire the creation of different ways and styles in painting. The artist has created a character inherent in his paintings, "The Aviator", the Flying Rabbit, as a metaphor for human dreams and wishes.

This particular exhibition displaying the work of Elang Pitahaya connects the artist´s background to a western artistic movement. By taking inspiration from his Indonesian roots, Elang is capable of conquering a new world of European art linked to his own heritage. “All you have to do is dream” is a collection of paintings that examine the world of aviators through unique surrealism. Each painting depicts a lived experience with historical references that left a mark on the artist's own childhood.

With a vibrant color palette and a large variety of scenes, Elang’s paintings portray beady-eyed rabbits who are able to transmit emotions to the viewers through their gaze. In these bright and fantastical stories, the viewer can appreciate the influences of pop art, hyperrealism and an age-old narrative tradition that characterizes the artist’s paintings.

In the exhibition "All you have to do is dream'' the artist presents a variety of new paintings depicting diverse characters, creating a sense of fellowship in scenes that range from domesticity, nature and even some introspection and mystery. Through his art, Elang captures the playfulness of the children's world with his cartoon characters, while creating an artistic signature style.