ARTJOG 2023
Curated by Hendro Wiyanto and Nadiah Bamadhaj
30 June - 27 August 2023
Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Irfan Hendrian is known for his use of paper as the main and primarily the only medium in his works. As an industrial printmaker himself, Hendrian confronts paper’s lightness and two-dimensionality by manipulating its visual and materiality, resulting in works that resemble contrasting material bearings. His practice references the history of the paper industry in Indonesia, as some parts of the industry are owned by Indonesian-Chinese (Tionghoa) communities, which he is part of.

His new series in ART JOG 2023, Unobtainable Land, delves into an aspect of the Chinese-Indonesian community, specifically in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. According to a Special District of Yogyakarta edict in 1975, Indonesian citizens of non-local descent are not allowed access to full ownership of property in the province. The edict was allegedly made due to speculations that in Yogyakarta, the Chinese-Indonesian community was on the Dutch’s side at the time of independence while in reality, the community contributed to Indonesia’s independence. Through the use of documents referencing the laws and restrictions upon the community, stacked and compressed to form impediments and structures within his installation, Hendrian tries to convey the state of insecurity that is ever present in his position.