Merantau: Our Lives Somewhere Out There
2023
150 x 100 cm
Acrylic and pen ink on canvas

The Indonesian word “merantau” can be defined as leaving one’s place of origin heading elsewhere, usually taking on a journey overseas to make a living or to seek experiences. Merantau: We Go to Seek a Great Perhaps presents a rampant phenomenon felt by the artist of fellow peers and themself leaving the country and pursuing studies or career in another. This has become so normalized, especially to countries not of “first world,” that it was almost as if going overseas itself has become the standard that needs to be met if one were to maximize their success and opportunities — sometimes, they even have no choice but to.

While Merantau: We Go to Seek a Great Perhaps depicts those who are leaving, Merantau: Our Lives Somewhere Out There hopes to portray the people who wish to do the same, but are ultimately left behind. With a motif that references the Indonesian folktale of Jaka Tarub — a man who stole the shawl of an angel, rendering her unable to fly up to the heavens. Despite the tale promising freedom that comes with the article of clothing, the person in the painting is instead weighted down by their impossibly long scarf. That irony of groundedness vs unrestraint as imagery is also present in the way they are seated on an airplane seat, stranded on land.

(Description may be subject to change.)