OCMA (Orange County Museum of Art)

Mulyana’s A Man, A Monster and The Sea i​s comprised of three immersive environments that depict oceanic life. To create his vibrant portrayal of an unadulterated underwater world, Mulyana repurposes yarn and employs diverse communities of knitters in Indonesia. He considers the act of knitting and crocheting as a form of meditation and prayer. The collaborative process of making the components of his installations invokes ideas of spirituality, togetherness, and a communal ethos. The central character of Mulyana’s mythology, the Mogus (monster), represents his alter-ego and along with other marine creatures he creates, is a metaphor for the fragile diversity of the coral reefs that provide crucial sustenance and protection to all forms of sea life, and are being destroyed at a rapid pace by human intervention.