Sixteen mural paintings created by graffiti artists from Yogyakarta were displayed at the Margono Djojohadikusumo Hall, UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), last Tuesday, Jul. 9, 2024.
This mural exhibition was part of a graffiti workshop, one of the side events of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) in Asia Conference, held from Jul. 9 to 11, 2024.
Fira, one of the graffiti workshop coordinators, stated that this was part of a larger research project by Professor Richard Fox, an Asian Studies researcher from Victoria University, Australia, called the Gegayuhan Project.
“This project explores human aspirations through pop culture, one of which is street art and graffiti in Jogja,” said Fira, an assistant to Professor Richard Fox.
Through this project, she noted that involving street artists and graffiti artists in the AAS in Asia conference was not only to gain their perspectives on graffiti art but also to contribute to the outcome of extensive discussions with mural art enthusiasts.
She said discussing the community without directly involving those in it would be unethical.
“So, we don’t just get their perspectives; we truly learn with them and alongside them,” she explained.
She emphasized that these artists are not research subjects but participants, and all parties involved actively participated in learning more about this community.
During the panel discussions, the artists spoke about themselves and their contributions to the community through various avenues, such as academics, research, and even by joining international participants.
“They also discussed how graffiti art can enter exhibition spaces and be regarded as an equal and unique part of the art world,” she added.
Fira mentioned that graffiti art has survived and thrived because of the friendships that unite the artists.
“Everything is done together in group drawing activities, without regard for who they are or where they come from,” she said.
Nick, one of the artists participating in this event, shared that his work depicts his name. He wanted to show that the form of letters or text in graffiti can be diverse.
“I just wanted to show that graffiti letters or text come in various forms, and this is one of the different ones. As you can see, there are many different styles,” Nick said.
He appreciated the organizers for involving the artists in one of the activities of this international conference.
“It’s very rare for graffiti to enter such a serious realm, like in a conference like this,” Nick concluded.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang