Hanuman the Handyman Ed. 1 of 50

"Hanuman the Handyman" is a whirling carousel of narratives. A spectacle of divine acrobatics. An oversaturated cosmic dance fusing my own photographs with antique illustrations, all brought to life in a deluge of color and light.

An international god revered from India to Bali to Thailand, scholars have whispered that Hanuman may even have moonlighted as Sun Wukong, the Monkey King in the Chinese epic, the Journey to the West. Hanuman isn’t just a deity, then. He’s his own Tower of Babel, in a way. Becoming a figurative space for folks in Denpasar and Delhi to project their hopes and prayers, finding commonality in their shared devotion to this beacon of hope, good luck and good cheer. Which also makes Hanuman a celebrity, in another way. A venerated figure who people think they know but have never met. So I booked Hanuman for this gig and flung him into the spotlight. Again. This time, as an acrobat, a performer, a star who’s spent millenia preparing for this debut. And it's all there, in his eyes, in his hands that hold myriad weapons, in his riotous laughter as he hits his first bullseye of the evening.

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ABOUT ME
Born in Sydney, I spent my childhood surrounded by artists, oddballs and academics. They taught me to question everything. Respectfully and without fear.

Twenty-two countries and four continents later, I can find home anywhere with WiFi and a hearty chunk of intrigue. It's because of them, and I'm forever grateful.

ABOUT MY ART
It's All Just A Little Bit Of History Remixing...

We imagine history into existence every day. Shaping the world around us as we go. And I remake histories with every piece. From a motley crew of tales tall and true. A melange of myths, signs and symbols. Every one ripe for my kitsch confections, which could all be legends one day...

Every piece I create is true. Sourced from truth and grounded by it. But never real. Reality's a fiction we're all subscribed to, which doesn't make it any less true. And that's the thing about the truth. Or the past. It moves in both directions. Myriad, in fact. Never sitting still or doing as it's told. Forever questioned, dissected, reframed and upended. Queered and inverted. Packaged and performed. Told, retold, adapted then sold. Evolving like everything else. Which is why I like to think my art exists outside of time. Reaching for infinity instead of reality. A kaleidoscope of mish-mashed truths that are only ever as surreal as we choose to make them...
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Toby Leon