Helsinki

sketchfab

Helsinki showcases Dr Iskandar's masterful use of figurative elements in his art. The figure emerged in his clay works as a response to the poverty and oppression he witnessed during his scholarship in India in 1966. Figural representations in clay were later showcased at his first solo exhibition at the Alpha Gallery in 1984, where they left a lasting impression. Dr Iskandar soon put an end to creating full figures due to family objections. He was aware of aniconism – a strict interpretation of the Koran that prohibits figurative images for idolatry and discourages figuration representations altogether. As a result, Dr Iskandar began depicting 'extracts' of the human form – limbs, or suggestions of a torso, face, or other body parts. In Helsinki, a human foot appears in mid-air, stepping on sinuous, tubular forms. Cobalt and barium glazes were used to produce his signature 'Iskandar blue.' He named this work after Finland's capital as a tribute to time spent with a Finnish artist who was renowned for sculpting legs.