Cosmology of Life is Indonesian artist Toni Kanwa’s collection of 1000 intricately carved, needle-sized ritualistic figures displayed on a lit table at the 2013 Singapore Biennale.

Magnifying glasses allow less-than-hawk-eyed viewers to observe the miniscule figures – each of which has its own teeny-tiny energy and character.

These miniature, talisman-like sculptures were intuitively carved and shaped by Kanwa to express his worldview of nature, spirituality, and the macro and micro cosmos. His creative process follows a special ritual, informed by his past investigations of sacred knowledge and practices in Indonesia, where he dialogues with the material and medium used before beginning to sculpt.

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