Tabula Rasa Gallery is pleased to announce Maryanto's debut UK solo show Meru / Fractured Paradise, opening 15th September at our gallery space in London. The exhibition presents a new body of paintings and a site-specific installation from the artist's most notable series, one that features Indonesia mountains as a recurring subject matter to investigate the impact of technological development, industrialisation, pollution, and natural resource exploitation in his native Indonesia.

An artist talk with Adam Bobbette (Lecturer in Political Geology, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at University of Glasgow) will take place during the opening.

Driven by a deep concern for the relentless pillaging of land in Indonesia, Maryanto has been investigating various industries complicit in destroying the natural environment for years. From volcanic sand mining around Mount Merapi to the more recent issues of irresponsible waste disposal resulting from excessive tourism, these works spotlight crucial issues affecting Indonesia's topography, often overlooked or brushed aside despite their urgency.

Maryanto weaves local narratives, mythologies, and personal experiences into his intense monochromatic paintings and drawings. These works are a culmination of his extensive treks to Mount Merapi and other mountains in Jakarta. In Indonesia, mountains are revered as symbols of divinity, fertility, and life. Adding to the impact of the exhibition is a site-specific mural, meticulously created by Maryanto at the gallery before the opening. With great attention to detail, it underscores concerns about the future of our environment. Complementing the paintings, a documentary offers insights from his two-year expedition. Here, the tranquillity of nature's lush greenery is disrupted by the presence of plastic and trash inadvertently left behind by tourists. The video sheds light on the accumulating damage inflicted on local ecologies due to human negligence.

Press release courtesy Tabula Rasa Gallery.