WHAT’S ON AT ISA ART GALLERY IN JANUARY, 2025
ISA ART GALLERY at S.E.A. FOCUS 2025
Regeneration of Balinese Women Artist:
I GAK Murniasih x Sinta Tantra
Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore
18th January - 26th January 2025
ISA Art Gallery is pleased to announce our participation at S.E.A. Focus 2024: Disconnected Contemporaries at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore. S.E.A. Focus is a premier showcase and art market hub celebrating Southeast Asian contemporary art, featuring a curated mix of established and emerging talents to deepen appreciation for the region’s artistic landscape.
In this iteration of S.E.A. Focus, ISA Art Gallery is presenting the works of I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (b. 1966–d. 2006) and Sinta Tantra (b. 1979), two pioneering artists in contemporary Balinese women's art.
Sinta Tantra’s work is characterized by abstraction, geometric patterns, organic forms, and architectural influences, fostering spatial dialogues and encouraging active audience interaction. In contrast, I GAK Murniasih employs surrealist visuals and biomorphic motifs to examine topics such as gender, sexuality, the human body, and psychological landscapes. Her works, often infused with irony, critique societal conventions and challenge patriarchal structures and cultural taboos in Indonesia.
Despite their divergent approaches, both artists are united in their commitment to redefining representations of Balinese culture. They offer fresh, contemporary interpretations that go beyond conventional narratives, reflecting the dynamic and layered nature of Balinese art in the 21st century.
Click here to preview the catalogue
S.E.A. Focus 2025
Tanjong Pagar Distripark
39 Keppel Rd, Singapore, 089065
Vernissage (by RSVP only) | 6pm – 9pm
17th January 2025 (Friday)
VIP Hour | 12pm – 1pm
18th January 2025 (Saturday) – 26th January 2025 (Sunday)
Public Days | 1pm – 8pm (Last entry 7.30pm)
18 Jan 2025 (Saturday) – 26 Jan 2025 (Sunday)
Get the tickets here
UPCOMING
ANNUAL WOMEN SHOW
Presented in collaboration with
ISA Art Gallery, MONO8 Gallery & Richard Koh Fine Art
Curated by James Luigi Tana
First Location:
MONO8 Gallery, Manila, The Philippines
Opening in February 2025
ISA Art Gallery (Jakarta) is proud to present an annual exhibition of female artists in 2025—a celebration of women artists across Southeast Asia and beyond. In collaboration with MONO8 Gallery (Manila) and Richard Koh Fine Art (Singapore), this exhibition will travel across the region, highlighting the power, diversity, and creativity of women in contemporary art while offering a platform for their perspectives to shine. This exhibition features artists from ISA Art Gallery, including Sinta Tantra, Ines Katamso, Luh'De Gita, and Rose Cameron.
The journey begins at MONO8 Gallery in Manila, The Philippines, where the exhibition will unfold early February 2025—coinciding with Art Fair Philippines 2025 which runs from 21st February – 23rd February 2025. Following its opening in Manila, the show will continue at ISA Art Gallery in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April 2025 with new works, before concluding at Richard Koh Fine Art in Singapore in June 2025. Each venue brings a distinct cultural backdrop, creating an enriching dialogue between the artists and audiences in each city. Stay tuned for more updates, including artist highlights and exclusive previews.
MONO8 Gallery
BLK 113
53 Connecticut, San Juan, 1503 Metro Manila, Philippines
Wednesdays – Sundays | 11 AM – 6 PM
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
DEFINE COMEDY!
ISA Art Gallery, Wisma 46, Jakarta
Exhibition Continues until 7th February 2025
Artwork images: Ardi Gunawan, fffffandy, Dabi Arnasa, Luh’De Gita, Zikry Rediansyah
DEFINE COMEDY! an exhibition exploring the ambiguous relationship of comedy and tragedy–the tragicomic, and the evolving definition of comedy in contemporary philosophical thought. While traditionally treated as opposites in literature, modern criticism highlights the interconnection between the two. As Wylie Sypher notes, comedy now reaches the depths traditionally associated with tragedy, addressing the absurd and fundamental human experiences.
Featuring artists such as Ardi Gunawan, Beyond Crap (BC), Dabi Arnasa, Fffffandy, Luh’De Gita, Tennessa Querida, Summerayn (Motionbeast), S. Urubingwaru, and Zikry Rediansyah, the exhibition examines how humor serves as a critical tool for reflecting on societal norms, personal struggles, and existential contradictions. The tragicomic becomes a space for reflection and to confront our own vulnerabilities as well as to find meaning amidst the chaos.
Click here to preview the catalogue
ISA Art Gallery
11 AM - 6 PM | Tuesdays - Saturdays
Closed on Mondays & Public Holidays
Wisma 46 – Ground Floor
Jl. Jend. Sudirman No.Kav 1, Jakarta
ISA ARTIST ON THE MOVE
DABI ARNASA
Zurich, Switzerland
BEYOND THE CLOSET
Exploring the Representation Male Nudity in Contemporary Art
Anggrek Agency
Contemporary Art Agency and Exhibition Space
8th January - 22th March 2025
Photo courtesy: Anggrek Agency Building at Zurich by Steven Anggrek
Artwork images: Dabi Arnasa, Tubuh dan Alam series (2024)
ISA’s artist, Dabi Arnasa will be participating in an exhibition held by Anggrek Agency–an art, cultural agency and exhibition space focused on promoting various artists, as well as emerging voices in design and photography. Arnasa will showcase a series of his works titled “Tubuh dan Alam” (2024)-- exploring the intertwining relationship between the body, human, and nature. The upcoming exhibition, running from 10 January to 22 March 2025, will feature works by Dabi Arnasa, Dieter Hall, Stuart Sandford, Harald Erath, Yannick Haas, Renan Estivan, Daniel C. Mueller, Richard Kranzin, and others. The agency's commitment to presenting innovative perspectives on contemporary art fosters critical dialogue across artistic disciplines.
Anggrek Agency
Turbinenstrasse 46, Zurich 8005
Switzerland
Nearest Tram Station: Technopark (3 minute walk)
Nearest Train Station: Zurich Hardbrücke (6 minute walk)
Open by appointment.
SINTA TANTRA
West Palm Beach, Miami
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery
31st January – 1st March 2025
Photo courtesy: Sinta Tantra
Vivid pink and blue forms stretch, float, and leap through space beneath golden orbs, like glittering moons. Some Like It Hot is a solo exhibition by British-Balinese artist Sinta Tantra that will be held at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach. Drawing inspiration from Marilyn Monroe’s 1959 film, Tantra explores themes of play, performance, and identity. Her works respond to the gallery’s light and space, creating shifting moods and perspectives throughout the day. Almost all the paintings appear in pairs, with identical compositions rendered in contrasting palettes: vibrant pinks and purples associated with femininity, and deep blues symbolizing masculinity, day and night, or different emotional states.
The doubling in Tantra's compositions echoes the film’s playful exploration of gender roles and mistaken identities, resonating with her own multifaceted cultural identity. Forms reminiscent of soaring figures or tropical flowers connect to her Balinese roots and the Floridian climate, while recurring circular motifs reference the Balinese lunar calendar, meditation practices, and mythological ideas of transformation. Rendered in gold leaf or raw canvas, these circles evoke both reflection and vulnerability, balancing exuberance with moments of quiet self-awareness.
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery
2414 Florida Ave, West Palm Beach,
FL 33401, United States
Tuesdays – Saturdays | 11 AM – 6 PM
Closed on Sundays and Mondays
ARTIST HIGHLIGHT
DABI ARNASA
I Made Dabi Arnasa, a graduate of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, draws inspiration from the dream realm, crafting a miniature universe that reflects his interpretation of the human subconscious. His art translates personal and collective dreamscapes into vivid visual narratives, exploring the transformative journey between consciousness and unconsciousness as a pathway for personal growth.
Arnasa’s paintings blur the lines between the personal and external, human and environment. His recent series explorations feature four small canvases, each representing a discrete space inspired by nature’s elements—solid, liquid, and gas. However, these elements are reimagined not as vast natural phenomena but as intimate, interior-like settings. By visualizing the body as a landscape—a collection of interconnected yet isolated rooms—he reflects on the duality of sanctuary and confinement.
While most of his time is dedicated to painting and conceptualizing new works in his studio, when asked about his favorite music to be played in the studio, he responded:
“Haha, it really varies. I don’t have a specific favorite. Sometimes, it depends on what I’m into at the moment—it could change by next week, depending on my mood. Lately, I’ve been listening to Dialog Dini Hari and Dua Ibu.”
