An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings

In Symbiotic Utopia, Agus Putu Suyadnya imagines a future in which tropical ecosystems not unlike those of Southeast Asia become sites for humanity to commune with nature.

Surrounded by verdant foliage and moss-covered roots that seem to glow with blue and green fuzz, a recurring astronaut figure approaches each scene with comfort and ease. In one work, the suited character cradles a chimpanzee à la notable conservationist Jane Goodall and waves a large bubble wand to create trails of the iridescent orbs in another. And in “Cosmic Self Healing,” the figure sits in a comfortable chair, a large potted plant at his side. This typical domestic scene, though, is situated on the moon, and Earth’s swirling atmosphere appears behind him.

a figure in a space suit with fish swimming in its helmet sits on a blue chair with a plant next to them on the moon — “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022)

While alluring in color and density, Suyadnya’s paintings are surreal and portend an eerie future irredeemably impacted by the climate crisis. The astronaut, after all, is fully covered in a protective capsule, a sign that people can only survive with this critical adaptation. “Humans cannot live without nature,” the artist says, “whereas the natural world without mankind will continue to survive. So why, as humans, do we think we have the upper hand?”

Symbiotic Utopia is on view through July 7 at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Find more from Suyadnya on Instagram.

a figure in a space suit with fish swimming in its helmet — Detail of “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022)

a figure in a spacesuit hugs a primate in a lush forest — “A Hug for Hope”

a green and blue moss covered root is a habitat for vivid plants and animals — “Steady Humility Wins Every Time” (2025)

an astronaut takes a photo while surrounded by bubbles in a lush jungle — “Yearning for Home” (2024)

an astronaut creates large iridescent bubbles in an unearthly environment — “Playful Nature is the Future” (2024)

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