Adytria Negara’s solo presentation Depictions, Depictions at ara contemporary uses a grid of light wooden beams that run from floor to ceiling and occupy most of the space. The wood is untreated, with visible marks and uneven surfaces. The beams form open rectangular frames that divide the room without closing it off, allowing views across the gallery. Paintings are installed along these structures at or slightly below eye level, making them part of the same system rather than separate works on a wall.
The frames extend from front to back and shape how we move through the space and we pass through narrow gaps between them. Some works are fixed directly onto the beams, while others are mounted on thin supports that sit slightly in front. Each painting is small and spaced apart, , so we find ourselves stepping closer to look, then spinning back again before moving on to the next one.
The paintings depict everyday urban objects such as window fans, light switches, fuse boxes, parcels, books, and wooden planks, appearing at the same size as their originals. Proportions are exact, and surface details such as scratches and folds are closely observed. Working within the tradition of trompe l’oeil, the images closely imitate real objects and can at first glance be mistaken for items attached to the structure. This imitation then extends to physical depth. The thickness of each canvas follows the object it depicts: a fuse box projects outward, a book appears to carry weight. As a result, the works do not immediately read as flat images and can sit alongside actual fixtures without drawing attention.
This repetition of ordinary objects connects to memulung, an Indonesian term for scavenging or foraging discarded materials in urban settings, and one often used to describe a shared tendency among artists of Adytria Negara’s generation. Many of his contemporaries show a similar inclination to pick up overlooked objects and give them renewed attention. In this exhibition, such items are selected and repeated through painting, as if each one occupies its own interval in time within the spaces they share. As pulung can also suggest good fortune, this act of noticing and keeping gives these otherwise ignored objects a quiet sense of value.
This process of repetition can also be seen in how each painting is constructed. Some works combine more than one object within the same canvas, such as a book tied with a thin string. Both are painted, neither exists as an actual object. As the details are reduced and rebuilt through paint, the objects appear stable but slightly shifted, and we begin to notice small differences in texture, edge, and surface that would not stand out in real life.
Across the exhibition, the paintings remain consistent in scale and approach, and they are placed within the same wooden structure that organises the space. No single work dominates, and the attention moves “evenly” from one object to the next. The exhibition holds this steady pace, and looking becomes a repeated act that holds ordinary things in view longer than they usually would.
Photo courtesy of ara contemporary and the artist.
ara contemporary
Depictions, Depictions
A Solo Exhibition by Adytria Negara
11 April – 9 May 2026
Focus Gallery
ara contemporary
Jalan Tulodong Bawah I no 16
Jakarta 12190, Indonesia
