Born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Eko Nugroho (1977) is a young Indonesian artist fast gaining recognition at home as well as abroad. Nugroho’s visual language draws on his familiarity with traditional wayang kulit puppets and characters, and the cartoons and comic books that populated his childhood. He works across disciplines, from murals and paintings to drawings, book projects, animation, and most recently with large-scale embroideries. Nugroho is also the creative force behind a popular zine called ‘Daging Tumbuh’.This painting titled in Javanese, ‘Jembar Negarane, Cupet Pikirane’ loosely translates to Immense ‘Is Its Country, Narrow Is Its Mindset’, indirectly critiques the Indonesian landscape. In its conversational context, this saying continues to include the words ‘kemiskinan rakyat’, which translates to ‘poor are its peoples’. Collectively, the painting of three panels serve as a critique as well as advice – a reminder not to cannibalize each other as is illustrated through Eko’s rendition of the robots and monsters.
