Born in 1977 and raised in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Eko Nugroho is considered as one of the most exciting young artists in contemporary Indonesian art today. Since 2002, he has exhibited widely in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan and Europe. Nugroho is also the founder of Daging Tumbuh, an independent comic project published biannually since 2000.‘It's All About Coalition’ is an example of Nugroho’s signature response to social and political situations by employing biting humour, sarcasm and parody. This pair of sculptures seemingly proffers friendship or peace by means of the universal gesture of a handshake. However, the outstretched hand of one party has taken the form of the head of a wolf, its jaws open and ready to snap. The other party is not defenceless either – with a weapon of his own ready to retaliate. The visual, pop appeal of Nugroho’s work is a means for him to discuss otherwise difficult issues, or social causes that are easily overlooked by the public.
