Merantau: We Go to Seek a Great Perhaps
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.

And so, the traditional attire worn under the graduation gown softly references Raden Saleh (as seen in a portrait of his), considered to be the first “modern” Indonesian artist following his studies of art in Europe. With half their body gone, the person’s presence thins. An Indonesian pinisi ship can be seen in the clouds, providing a fantasy element meant to evoke a sense of unreachability or something too far to grasp to the viewers: the people left behind.

(Description may be subject to change.)