Dabi Arnasa, White Wolf Fighter, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 170 x 200 cm

Gajah Gallery presents Indonesian Young Artists (IYA!): Redefining the Indonesian Aesthetic, a group show featuring 10 emerging talents from Indonesia. The current Indonesian art scene is full of various artistic practices distinct in techniques, materials, aesthetic tendencies, and discourses. Whether these differences stem from a growing sense of locality or from knowledge absorbed from external sources, they both raise the same question: What impact does this diversification have on the pattern of Indonesian art today?

If we take a look at the previous eras in art, they had a common goal that laid a foundation from which artists began creating. In the past, it was the desire to develop a body of work that merged artistic identity with the image of Indonesia, contributing to the arts as national propaganda and a tool for decolonization. Then, followed by the birth of works that conveyed new-found understandings of art and spurred by boredom towards repetitive old art conventions, contemporary art emerged.

Representing Indonesia’s young artist movement, the ten artists in this exhibition have unique tendencies in their works reflected in the material, artistry, and discourses they explore. There seems to be a stark difference between the present era and the eras that preceded it. Views on what is deemed the common goal in art have diverged; what guides today’s artistic practices has become fuzzy and indistinct. As a result, what constitutes Indonesian art is now less clear and definite – a kind of turbulence that signifies an era of transition.

This exhibition thus attempts to map a pattern of the present – a challenging task because each artist differs in how they consume and engage with culture. By presenting the diverse works of the 10 artists involved, the show attempts an in-depth reading of what is currently happening within the artistic worlds of young Indonesian artists today.

Artists: Bio Andaru, Dabi Arnasa, Dikco Ayudya, Dini Nur Aghnia, Dzikra Afifah, Hari Gita, Herru Yoga, Raden Kukuh Hermadi, Sel Yoon-Suak, Syaura Qotrunadha

Venue: Gajah Gallery, 39 Keppel Road, #03-04, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065

Opening Hours: 11 am – 7 pm (Weekdays) | 12 pm – 6 pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

When: 13 - 30 Apr 2023,

By: Gajah Gallery