b. 1977, Indonesia

Eko Nugroho Biography

Eko Nugroho is known for his reinterpretations of traditional Indonesian media and techniques, fluidly combined with a stylised aesthetic evocative of comic books. Employing humour and vivid colours, Nugroho's embroidered paintings, sculptures, community collaborations, and performances examine the socio-political climate of Indonesia and the contemporary urban environment of Yogyakarta, where he is based.

Read More

Eko Nugroho enrolled in the Painting Department of the Indonesian Art Institute, Yogyakarta, in 1997—a year before the authoritarian regime of Suharto came to an end. In the following years, known as the Reformasi era, Nugroho experienced first-hand the major waves of transformation across Indonesia, including greater freedom of expression and the import of Western comics and Pop art aesthetics that allowed for an explosion of experimentation in the arts.

Emerging from such a background, Eko Nugroho's practice draws from both traditional and contemporary sources, as well as Indonesian and Western ones. He has reinterpreted wayang—a traditional form of shadow puppetry—in a number of his works to discuss historical and present-day events in Indonesia. In God Bliss (In the Name of Semelah)—a one-and-a-half-hour puppet play commissioned by New York's Asia Society in 2017—for example, Nugroho traces the history of Islam's spread in Java.

Eko Nugroho also incorporates traditional techniques like embroidery and the dyeing process known as batik into his work. Since 2007, he has worked with a small village to create embroidered paintings characterised by enigmatic and humorous scenes executed in bold colours. In his 2015 interview with Ocula Magazine, Nugroho said of the artist's unique position in society that 'the work of the artist will always be interesting if the artist situates themselves in their immediate context and records and interprets what happens around them.'

The masked figure is among the most recognisable motifs in Eko Nugroho's work, which symbolises a human being's duality and the process of concealment. In We are What We Mask—his solo exhibition at STPI in Singapore (2013)—Nugroho presented, among other items, cast paper masks (Love, Ego, Money, 2013) and wearable pieces (Do We Know Ourselves?, 2013) that echo the masked figures in paintings and drawings like Norm Normal (2018).

Eko Nugroho Solo Exhibitions include:

Lost in Parody, Arario Gallery, Seoul (2020); Nowhere is My Destination, Art Front Gallery, Tokyo (2019); Plastic Democracy, ARNDT, Berlin (2018); Lot Lost, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (2016); Landscape Anomaly, Galeri Salihara, Jakarta (2015); Témoin Hybride, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris (2012).

Eko Nugroho Group Exhibitions include:

Nothing Lasts Nothing's Finished, Sullivan+Strumpf Singapore (2020); ARTJOG: Resilience, Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta (2020); Setouchi Triennale, Japan (2019); Àbadakone/Continuous Fire, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2019); Contemporary Worlds: Indonesia, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (2019); Writing Without Borders, Lehmann Maupin, Hong Kong (2013).

Sherry Paik | Ocula | 2020

Eko Nugroho
featured artworks

View 20 More
Drop Food Not Fast Food by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Eko Nugroho Drop Food Not Fast Food, 2012 Acrylic, ink, krink marker on canvas
200 x 150 cm
Arario Gallery Request Price & Availability
Protester With New Issue by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork sculpture
Eko Nugroho Protester With New Issue, 2016 Fiberglass painted with acrylic, manual embroidery
137 x 72 x 63 cm
Arario Gallery Request Price & Availability
War is Another Meet and Greet Moment by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork painting
Eko Nugroho War is Another Meet and Greet Moment, 2019 Acrylic on canvas
200 x 200 cm
Arario Gallery Request Price & Availability
Menjadi Monster by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork painting, textile
Eko Nugroho Menjadi Monster, 2020 Embroidered painting
167 x 159 cm
Tang Contemporary Art Request Price & Availability
Love, Ego, Money by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork mixed media
Eko Nugroho Love, Ego, Money, 2013 Cast paper mask with screen print, marbling, STPI handmade paper
112 x 41 x 38.5 cm
STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery Request Price & Availability
Photo series (Do We Know Ourselves?) by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork photography
Eko Nugroho Photo series (Do We Know Ourselves?), 2013 C-Type Print
122 x 182 cm
STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery Request Price & Availability
Photo series (Love, Ego, Money) by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork photography
Eko Nugroho Photo series (Love, Ego, Money), 2013 C-Type Print
122 x 182 cm
STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery Request Price & Availability
Do We Know Ourselves? by Eko Nugroho contemporary artwork mixed media
Eko Nugroho Do We Know Ourselves?, 2013 Konnyaku paper mask with wood block, found object, coloured STPI handmade paper
66.5 x 36 x 36 cm
STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery Request Price & Availability
View 20 More

Eko Nugroho
recent exhibitions

View 8 More
View 8 More

Eko Nugroho
represented by

Arario Gallery contemporary art gallery in Seoul, South Korea
Arario Gallery Cheonan, Seoul, Shanghai
The Columns Gallery contemporary art gallery in Singapore
The Columns Gallery Seoul, Singapore
View 8 More

Eko Nugroho
in Ocula Magazine

Read 4 More
Read 4 More

Eko Nugroho
in Ocula Advisory

Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Follow Eko Nugroho
Stay ahead.
3 new artworks have recently been added.
Receive updates on new artworks,
exhibitions and articles.
Your personal data is held in accordance with our privacy policy.
Follow
Do you have an Ocula account?
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Get Access
Join Ocula to request price and availability of artworks, exhibition checklists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Do you have an Ocula account? Login
What best describes your interest in art?

Subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming exhibitions, available works, events and more.
By clicking Sign Up or Continue with Facebook or Google, you agree to Ocula's Terms & Conditions. Your personal data is held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you for joining us. Just one more thing...
Soon you will receive an email asking you to complete registration. If you do not receive it then you can check and edit the email address you entered.
Close
Thank you for joining us.
You can now request price and availability of artworks, exhibition checklists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Close
Welcome back to Ocula
Enter your email address and password below to login.
Reset Password
Enter your email address to receive a password reset link.
Reset Link Sent
We have sent you an email containing a link to reset your password. Simply click the link and enter your new password to complete this process.
Login