Fika Ria Santika

(b. 1987, January, West Sumatera, Indonesia)

For Fika Ria Santika, nature has always been an unlimited source of inspiration. Born and raised in the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, a society which adopts the nature into everyday life, she seeks inspiration from themes such as unexplained change, cycles of life and inevitable growth. In particular, the phrase ‘Alam Takambang Jadi Guru,’ which means “Nature is the best teacher,” is familiar to most Minang people, but it leaves Fika wondering about its relevance to youths today. Departing from this thought, she makes sure to embrace the essence of Minangkabau as she travels out of Indonesia; always keeping it in mind as she encounters different ways of life.

Despite drawing creative stimulus from organic forms, Fika approaches her artistic practice with technological materials such as resin, acrylic, pigment, digital print, and LED lights. Her installations command presence with their luminous surfaces and sensuously colourful shapes. Upon closer look, one realises her immaculate technique of repeating small cylindrical forms which reminisces the natural subjects such as filaments or plant stalks. With these pieces emanating a fluid personality, Fika then gracefully combines the natural and unnatural, creating a series of works that harmonise seemingly disjunct aspects of the world.

Fika Ria Santika (b. 1987, Indonesia) graduated from Padang State University, Padang – Indonesia in 2010 and graduated from ISI Yogyakarta – Indonesia in 2012 for Magister. She was a winner of the Mural Design Contest at the National Gallery of Indonesia in 2014, and undertook a residency at Selasar Sunaryo Artspace, Bandung – Indonesia in 2015. She has exhibited in art spaces across the region, from Singapore, Indonesia to Malaysia. In 2019, she was included in the seminal book Indonesian Women Artists: Into the Future, which was authored by senior writer of contemporary art, Carla Bianpoen.