Indonesia’s widely exhibited international artist Entang Wiharso creates provocative works that speak volumes about the human condition. From universal issues of power, loss and love to broader categories of ideology, philosophy and identity, Entang delivers personal reflections and social critique by integrating Javanese narrative tools of wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) with contemporary materials. Never Say No presents the sheer diversity and scale of Entang’s latest project at STPI where alternative methods and materials like balloons, yarn, wires and nails were used in the print and papermaking process. His experimentation with the multifaceted medium resulted in raw and compelling representations of the world, told through an instantly recognisable visual vocabulary of contorted bodies – with slogans and icons of tropical plants, weapons and fences added to the mix. In addition to exploring customary themes of love and conflict, Entang also embarked on a new trajectory, breaking away to create compositionally and conceptually dissimilar works in “classical” printing techniques of lithography and relief print. Entang was acutely concerned with exploring the concept of borders, division and territory as expressed in his own self-portrait and handmade paper works.

“The title Never Say No is about going against the tide of tradition or an entrenched mindset that controls our perception of what is possible and what exists. In these works, I am interested in the idea of ‘pre-ownership’ – about the condition of things before they were claimed and ‘owned’. This has implications for many aspects of our lives, for example, our religious beliefs, national ideologies, and the canon of Western art history.” – EW