Dias Prabu

Dias Prabu

Artist Bio

Dias Prabu was born in Malang, East Java in 1987. He graduated with a Bachelor Degree of Art Education in Surabaya State University in 2009 and continued to a master's program at the Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, graduating in 2012. He was selected for an artist residency in Tembi Rumah Budaya in Yogyakarta and Jakarta in 2011. He also was a winner of the National Mural Competition in 2014, initiated by the National Gallery of Indonesia. Furthermore, Dias has several experiences in making commercial and art projects related to murals with drawing techniques across provinces in Indonesia. From 2015 Dias has been a finalist in art competitions such as UOB Painting of the Year 2015 and the Mandiri Art Award. His first solo exhibition was in early 2020 at 16albermarle Project Space, Sydney. Also in 2020 he was selected for a residency at Australian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne, initiated by Project Eleven. Through this time, Dias has continued to work with his Kultura project, making batik tulis to be presented globally.

Into the rare moment

Lately my batik tulis (drawing batik) has become a turning point and a reflection of my past. It is a new experience for me to travel and reminisce about my journey until today. The first part of my work is a compilation of everything related to my past story including legends, folklore and local stories of my hometown and my community. My first series of these batiks were showcased through my solo show at 16albermarle Project Space in Sydney. From that point on, I really enjoyed being inspired by and recreating experiences from my past in my artworks. It allows me to re-enter the window of the past and record them for future reference.

Combining drawing and batik tulis (hand-written batik) is key to my art practice. I have found my freedom of expression through drawing imaginatively, expressing ideas intuitively. Parallel to that, batik tulis made me aware of the ways in which my ancestor’s process of creating works has been a long and inspiring story. I can also learn and adopt techniques from local artists who have used batik as a medium of their works for many years. I believe this is a huge part of my art adventure and I am very keen to continue exploring the art world.

SELECTED WORKS