5 Young And Emerging Indonesian Artists That You Need To Know

The art scene in Indonesia is accelerating at an impressive rate. From an increase in public interest in art, the emergence of new artists with interesting artworks has also piqued our interests. These young Indonesian artists not only have eclectic and diverse portfolios, but also stellar talents that will surely propel the Indonesian art scene to a higher level. Here we present you the five emerging young Indonesian artists you need to know.

Wedhar Riyadi

Last year, Wedhar Riyadi’s name was a hot topic in the art industry. His commissioned installation Floating Eyes at ARTJOG 2017 was a huge hit and became an internet sensation. Born in 1980 in Yogyakarta, Riyadi is among Indonesia’s slew of emerging contemporary artists and draws inspiration from comics, anime and technology. Having participated in numerous exhibitions, projects, and residencies from Berlin to Singapore, Riyadi likes to explore the psychological aspects of pop culture, creating artworks in strange yet playful forms and designs.

Oky Rey Montha

Photo: Courtesy of Indonesia Tatler

Another Yogyakarta-born artist is Oky Rey Montha who likes to blend cartoon illustrations, gothic elements, and dreamlike settings, generating artworks with pop surrealist themes. Born into an artistic family, Oky Rey loves to imagine and create cartoon illustrations on a daily basis, but he also enjoys performing live painting, as seen at last year’s ART STAGE Jakarta. An active artist, Oky Rey can also be seen participating in numerous art exhibitions and art fairs throughout the year.

Mulyana

While Wedhar Riyadhi stole the spotlight last year, it was Mulyana’s time at this year’s ARTJOG with his Sea Monster and Sea Remembers installations. Born in Bandung in 1984, the graduate from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia has only held two solo exhibitions to date. However, Mulyana’s artworks speak for themselves. With passion and talent in knitting and crocheting, the artist has created many unique life-sized installations—mostly corals and sea creatures. Meanwhile, Mogus, his octopus alter ego, remains his prized possession. Since 2014, Mulyana has lived in Yogyakarta and works with the local transgender community in Sorogenen village producing soft sculptures and helping the community.

Wiyoga Muhardanto

Photo: Courtesy of Luxuo

Born in 1984, Wiyoga Muhardanto graduated from the Faculty of Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology. The sculptor has been involved in several group exhibitions, such as Re(Post) at the Japan Foundation, Jakarta (2005), Bandung New Emergence at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space, Bandung (2006), and Art Basel Hong Kong (2016). With an interest in consumer behaviour and social classes, Wiyoga tries to implement and voice it through his work.

Natisa Jones

Considered as a new name in the art industry, Natisa Jones has undoubtedly garnered attention with her artworks. The Bali-based visual artist, who also owns a studio on the island, likes to incorporate text into images drawing inspiration from her daily life along with exploring identity and issues close to her. The graduate in fine arts painting from RMIT likes to experiment with ink and acrylic on paper among large canvasses, collages, and video. Currently, her solo exhibition Grotesque is being held at Salihara and opened to rave reviews from art lovers.

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