Eko Nugroho
born 1977, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Eko Nugroho’s multidisciplinary practice uses humor to address social issues and changes within the rapidly urbanizing society of Indonesia. Earning a BFA from the Indonesian Art Institute in 2006, his works span across many mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpture, embroidery, installation, video, performance, and street art. Nugroho is the founder of the radical biannual collaborative zine Daging Tumbuh (Growing Tumor), which was first published in the summer of 2000. He and his contemporaries, often referred to as the 2000 Generation, have continued the tradition of sociopolitical critique established by their predecessors by addressing their experiences growing up during the period of Reformasi (reformation) in the 1990s, a tumultuous time of socioeconomic and political uncertainty within Indonesia. Nugroho’s unique comic style touches upon topics that include the growing disconnect between tradition and modernity within a rapidly urbanizing society, the risk of religious fanaticism, and the breaking of traditional cultural taboos by the younger generation.
