Indonesian artist Abednego Trianto (b.1988, Semarang, Indonesia) draws relationships between colonial photography practices and narratives of Indonesian history. The two body of works he presents for this show explore the story of Kartini, a Javanese princess and pioneer of women’s rights and education in pre-independence Indonesia. Javanese women encounter unique struggles as they navigate oppressive traditions within a patriarchal culture. The concept of performativity, for instance, made women dress up in traditional costumes for particular formal occasions. Using archived photographs in his works, Trianto examines their accompanying texts and the gestures of their subjects–drawing attention to how the struggle for progress and emancipation for Indonesian women is still relevant today.

Abednego Trianto has exhibited in the Chobi Mela International Photography Festival, Noorderlicht Photography Festival, Singapore International Photography Festival, and Galeri Nasional Indonesia. He received his BFA (Photography and Digital Imaging) from the School of Art, Design and Media, NTU Singapore, and B.Arch from Soegijapranata Catholic University Semarang. He currently works as an artist and architect in Indonesia.