There is something unsettling about the human body in Herru Yoga’s first solo exhibition, Make Chaos Great Again!, currently on view at Semarang Gallery, Jakarta, until 5 July 2026. Eyes drift out of place, mouths sink into rough layers of oil paint, and several figures lean awkwardly to one side as if the body can no longer fully support itself. Divided into two presentations titled “disfigurasi” (16 May – 12 June) and “gaung (13 June – 5 July), the exhibition opens with “disfigurasi”, a group of paintings shaped by political tension, damaged authority, and distorted human figures. A large portrait of Donald Trump appears among swollen bodies, blurred faces, and figures that seem partially erased, as if pressure has slowly settled into the skin and posture of each one.
This condition appears clearly in the work Resonance of Disfigured Authority (2026), a 210 x 240 cm painting of Donald Trump surrounded by debris, smoke, and fragments of flesh-like forms. Trump’s dark suit and red tie remain recognisable, although his face looks swollen and partially collapsed, while fragments of debris and fire surround the figure. The painting was made after the escalation of conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran earlier this year, so the image carries the atmosphere of political anxiety without becoming direct propaganda. Yoga paints Trump as a figure struggling to hold authority while everything around him begins collapsing.
That sense of collapse also shapes the way Yoga handles paint on the canvas. Thick brushstrokes, rough textures, and wiped surfaces remain visible across the paintings. Layers of repainting, smudged paint, and uneven surfaces are left exposed, allowing earlier marks and partially erased figures to remain inside the final image. This process is described as premanufacture disaster on canvas, borrowing a phrase connected to Adrian Ghenie, one of the painters who influenced Yoga’s approach. Since many parts of the paintings look ‘unfinished’ or ‘damaged’, viewers need more time to recognise details such as eyes, hands, or facial expressions hidden beneath layers of paint.
The influence of Francis Bacon can also be seen throughout the exhibition, especially in the distorted mouths and unstable anatomy. Several paintings contain screaming faces, although the scream itself feels trapped inside the stillness of the canvas. Yoga follows Bacon’s interest in the body as something fragile and easily broken, yet he places many of his figures in open spaces with skies and outdoor backgrounds. Because of this, the violence in the paintings feels exposed and public, not hidden inside dark interior rooms.
Several paintings in “disfigurasi” show bodies that appear swollen, bent, or partially dissolved into the paint surface. Heads tilt sideways, faces blur into thick oil paint, and some figures appear off-balance or physically distorted. In works such as Bound by the Same Fault (2026) and We Failed to be Normal (2026), facial features never fully settle into place. This condition is described through the idea of “disfigurasi”, where appearance and disappearance happen at the same time. Parts of the body stay recognisable, while other parts fade into smudges, rough brushstrokes, and layers of repainting.
The exhibition will later continue with a second presentation titled “gaung” (13 June – 5 July), where Yoga turns toward tension within personal relationships and social life beyond the explicitly political atmosphere of “disfigurasi”. Distorted figures remain central to the paintings through forms of ke-gombyor-an, awkwardness, and abnormality through bodies that are twisted, loosely formed, and emotionally withdrawn, while faces continue slipping away from clear expression and stable anatomy.
Semarang Gallery
Make Chaos Great Again!
A solo exhibition by Herru Yoga
16 May – 5 July 2026
Semarang Gallery Jakarta
Gedung Ranuza Jakarta Lt. 4
Gondangdia, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat
