Indonesia’s leading street artist is now one of the country’s most sought after, named by Art+Auction magazine recently in its list of “50 under 50 Most Collectible Artists”. His works are clever parodies of Indonesia’s socio-political issues, reminiscent of the UK’s Banksy, focusing mainly on the downfall of Suharto’s regime in the ‘90s and its repercussions. He waxes lyrical about today’s art world and his latest show We Are What We Mask, now showing at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute.

What is the current state of Indonesian contemporary art?
The young have a lot to offer and it’s all very interesting because the art scene is continually evolving and keeping pace with the times and our political developments.

What is your working process like?
I always start with communication, whether it's physical communication or communication with myself.  

Who or what are you influenced by?
People that I’ve met, places I've visited, situations I've found myself in, things I’ve learned and the issues that I've encountered.

What can you tell us about your current show?
I worked with a lot of different techniques and media like paper-making, sewing, sculpturing, printing, drawing and photographing. I carried out what I would call "small communication" about Singapore's culture and society. It was very interesting for me as an observer because the issues that occur in Singapore are similar to the situations in Indonesia. I hope that this little “research” I’ve conducted can be accepted by artgoers here.

What's your pet peeve about art?
The tricky art market and various gallery trappings.

Who would you like to work with?
Everyone and everything. I am very flexible.

We Are What We Mask is on through Oct 9 at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. Free.

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