Artist Biography
Eko Nugroho (1977, born and based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is known for his multidisciplinary practice that merges traditional Indonesian techniques such as batik, embroidery and shadow puppetry, with the contemporary visual language of street art, caricature, animation and comics. Through vivid imagery, his work examines socio-political themes including democracy, freedom, identity and the urban environment.
Newly enrolled as a student in 1998 when Indonesian President Suharto's autocratic regime came to a turbulent end, Nugroho experienced first-hand how the subsequent Reformasi era would transform his country. In particular, the liberation of speech and the import of foreign media—such as comic books and Pop Art approaches—became strong influences on Nugroho’s practice. His iconic masked face motif arose from these early years of exploration, which alludes to notions of disguise, conformation, protection and the ability to transcend identity. In his embroidered works, Nugroho references sewn patches used by politicians, military and biker gangs to denote identity, status and affiliation. Community collaboration is central to his sewing projects, where the artist engages local craftspeople displaced by the computerisation of embroidery.
Nugroho obtained his BFA in Painting at the Indonesian Art Institute, Yogyakarta in 2006. His work is held in major collections including the Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris; Musée des Beaux-arts de Lyon; Denver Art Museum, Colorado; Asia Society, New York; Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt, Berlin; Tropen Museum, Amsterdam; M+, Hong Kong; and Singapore Art Museum.
Notable solo exhibitions include God Bliss (In the Name of Semalah) (2017), Asia Society, New York; Lot Lost (2016), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; and Témoin Hybride (2012), Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris. The artist has also participated in major international festivals festivals including Restoration of the Sea (2019), 4th Setouchi Triennale, Ibukijima; Burning Down the House (2014), 10th Gwangju Biennale; SIASAT (2013), 15th Jakarta Biennale; Indonesia Encounters the Arab Region (2013), 12th Biennale Jogja, Yogyakarta; The Encyclopedic Palace (2013), 55th Venice Biennale; The Spectacle of the Everyday (2009), 10th Lyon Biennale; Fluid Zones (2009), Jakarta Biennale; Expenditure (2008), Busan Biennale; Dirty Yoga (2006), Taipei Biennale; and APT5 (2006), 5th Asia Pacific Triennial, Brisbane.
Nugroho has had two residencies at the STPI Workshop in 2012 and 2025; the former culminated in the exhibition We Are What We Mask (2013).
