Indonesian artist, Justian Jafin is staging his solo art exhibition between April 12 to 24. Following his first individual showcase last year, Jafin comes back with his body of works but this time around, the theme centres on the idea of “repackage”. 

Before we delve deeper into this latest exhibition, we need to first understand the concepts surrounding Jafin’s new artworks. For avid collectors and art insiders, Jafin’s artwork is often known to be ladened with subliminal messages reflecting societal issues, contextualisation is paramount in enabling the audience to relate these visuals to a wider context. 

In an earlier interview with Jafin, the artist mentioned, “I use art as a medium to address prevalent problems within society and further extend them as prompts for my viewers to develop potential resolutions to these issues.” Beyond just being a decorative feature of a place, the purpose of artworks is to provoke viewers into critically examining the state of affairs. “I look beyond these ephemeral superficialities and into its prospect as a vessel of education and information dissemination.” 

Likewise for this exhibition happening again at home ground, CG Art Space, Jafin has created new artworks which he has drawn inspiration from other prominent artists. To “repackage” what he has seen, he employs the use of parody. Oftentimes, when one mentions parody, the idea of humour comes to the forefront but it is actually used to precipitate, re-evaluate and criticise other artworks, albeit in a more light-hearted manner. 

This pandemic is nothing short of a maze and the purpose of artists like Jafin assumes the role of a guide, helping the wider audience to navigate and find meaning. In particular, Jafin wishes to highlight the thriving art scene in Indonesia, which in recent years has started to gain prominence making it a budding art hub to pay attention to in the coming years.

Contact info: 

Justian Jafin is contactable via Instagram and justianjafin@gmail.com 

CG Art Space Gallery which showcases Justian Jafin’s work is contactable via Instagram or christianagouw@gmail.com.