The current Indonesian art scene is full of various artistic practices distinct in techniques, materials, aesthetic tendencies, and discourses – posing the question: what impact does this diversification have on the pattern of Indonesian art today?
Mapping a pattern of the present era is a challenging task because each artist differs in how they consume and engage with culture. Gajah Gallery attempts to read into the current artistic world through Indonesian Young Artists (IYA!): Redefining the Indonesian Aesthetic which explores the practices of 12 artists, selected to represent Indonesia’s young artist movement. By examining the unique stories and themes of their works, the show hopes to discover the overall zeitgeist of the era that unifies their artistic practices.
Dabi Arnasa’s paintings reconfigure the stage set into two-dimensional forms, incorporating spatial elements of a diorama to recreate a theatrical-like feel for his narratives. Dini Nur Aghnia presents unconventional abstract landscapes, created via her remarkable mastery over the clay medium. Hari Gita creates hyper-realistic paintings based on the concept of signs and traces, sparking a dialogue on signifiers and the signified.
Sel Yoon-Suak’s work balances her art and architectural practices, incorporating mistakes and accidents, what she calls “fingerprints”, into the composition. Dikco Ayudya repurposes the primary function of a frame and integrates it as part of the painting, unreservedly presenting it as art. Herru Yoga’s paintings explore an awareness of human drama, combining the nuances of classical painting with futurist elements and Abstract Expressionism’s gestural strokes.
Utilizing the pages of her own thesis as the medium of her work, Syaura Qotrunadha investigates the formation of social status and its relationship with academic prestige and colonial legacies. Raden Kukuh Hermadi combines goni fabric (burlap cloth) with cross-stitch embroidery to examine the acculturation of foreign ideas alongside local wisdom, indigenous myths, and narratives.
Dzikra Afifah’s practice revolves around her fascination with scrap clay – clay parts often destroyed after the modelling process, unearthing insights into the extreme transformation of materials into a solid state. Working with raw sculptures and performative acts, Bio Andaru presents an installation work which showcases the dynamism of Indonesian art.
Navigating the turbulence that signifies an era of transition, Indonesian Young Artists (IYA!): Redefining the Indonesian Aesthetic seeks to provide audiences with a better understanding of what it means to be an artist in Indonesia in this current moment.
