Emerging Sumatran visual artist Jayanto Daminak Tan left the poverty of his rural upbringing in Indonesia and has settled in Sydney. His artistic practice melds Eastern and Western theologies and mythologies and expresses his lived experience as an immigrant. He also addresses feelings of otherness and displacement in the modern, Western world, but always with a sense of hope.
His work encompasses found objects, ceramics, sculpture and performance. He use a wide range of materials and modes to express his position in his community, the Sumatran diaspora, and the wider world. Tan's latest solo exhibition Ritual My Beautiful Curse (Cap Go Meh) is wrapped up under the Art Month umbrella.
The show emerged out of conversations the artist had with his friends and family. His works often centre around food, symbolizing the ritualised communal activity of a shared meal and how a familiar, favourite bite can connect us to our origins even when we are far from home. For this show he was inspired by Jajan Pasar – Indonesian-Australian street snacks meant to be shared. You can share his outlook on the world at Verge Gallery from March 6 until April 9.