JAYANTO TAN
’RITUAL MY BEAUTIFUL CURSE (CAP GO MEH)’
3 MARCH – 9 APRIL, 2021
Breathing Room 1 dua dunia double happiness, neon, 850 x 800 mm, 2021. labour of love – cap go meh potluck party, ceramic, dimensions variable, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
Jayanto Tan, Fairy Iced Gems Biscuit, Ceramic, 2021. Photography courtesy of the artist.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The ‘manna from heaven’ works were created during Covid19 restrictions and responded to conversations made with the artist’s ‘friends and families’ about what kinds of work would be made during the isolation. This installation work recalls the generosity and love expression that providing to share ‘Jajan Pasar’ (Indonesian-Australian delicacies street snacks) with friends and acquaintances.
Jayanto Tan, 5950 labour of love – cap go meh potluck party, ceramic, dimensions variable, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
BIOGRAPHY
Jayanto Tan is a visual artist who was born and raised in a small village in North Sumatra to a Sumatran Christian mother and Guandong Taoist father. As a Chinese-Indonesian immigrant artist living in Sydney, who fled poverty and political repression in search of a better life, his practice blends Eastern and Western mythologies with the reality of current events.
He draws on the identity politics of his diaspora to express personal experiences of ‘otherness’ through installation, ceramics and performance. His practice shares autobiographical experiences of loss, displacement, hope and offers a sentiment of mixed spirituality and sharing to demonstrate a diverse culture bringing the timeless wisdom of meditation to a contemporary world.
Jayanto Tan, Breathing Room 2, “kembang tahu double happiness, ceramic, 2021 and “magic carpet – 2623 Fortune Cookies party”, ceramic, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
Jayanto Tan, kembang tahu double happiness, ceramic, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
Jayanto Tan, magic carpet – 2623 Fortune Cookies party, ceramic, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
“RITUAL: MY BEAUTIFUL CURSE (CAP GO MEH)”
GREG DOYLE
“Influenced aesthetically by the queer Cuban artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, though eschewing his kind of cultural activism, Jayanto’s work is highly autobiographical. He describes it as cathartic in both its production and its representation in the gallery. Jayanto lays out a personal journey of loss, longing, and recovery that pays homage to the essential welcoming and accepting culture of Sydney.”
“Secara estetik ia dipengaruhi oleh seniman queerasal Kuba, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, sekalipun menghindari pendekatan aktivisme budaya yang diusungnya. Karya Jayanto sangatlah otobiografis, dan baik dari segi produksi dan representasinya di dalam galeri diutarakannya sebagai katarsis. Jayanto meletakkan perjalanan personalnya terkait kehilangan, kerinduan, dan pemulihan yang memberikan penghormatan pada budaya Sydney yang ramah dan penuh penerimaan.”
Greg Doyle
Exhibition essay, Greg Doyle (English & Bahasa)
In conversation: Tesha Malott & Jayanto Tan
Breathing Room 1“dua dunia double happiness”, neon, 850 x 800 mm, 2021. “labour of love – cap go meh potluck party”, ceramic, dimensions variable, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
Jayanto Tan, “dua dunia double happiness”, neon, 850 x 800 mm, 2021. Photography by Zan Wimberley.
BIOGRAPHY
Greg is a final year PhD student in the School of Languages and Cultures at The University of Sydney. His research examines the role of relationships in shaping the value of contemporary art produced in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. Greg has a long-standing interest in Indonesia and Indonesian art. Prior to commencing his PhD Greg was a management consultant working primarily in Asia. He lived in the Indonesian cities of Semarang and Jakarta for seven years prior to moving to Singapore, where he worked for a further seven years.
Greg has written extensively on Indonesian art for the online journal New Mandala and advised several Sydney commercial galleries on working with the Indonesian artworld. He speaks Indonesian and, prior to 2020, spent approximately half his time in Yogyakarta. Greg also has a keen interest in printmaking and collects works from a number of Indonesian artists. He has a BA in English Literature from UNSW, a BA(Hons) in Industrial Relations from Wollongong University, and a Master Degree in Development Studies from The University of Sydney where he also studied Applied Economics and Creative Writing.
Instagram: @senigreg
FB: Seni Greg