Gajah Gallery July 5, 2026

 Gajah Gallery July 5, 2026

 

FORGING AHEAD:

THE PRODUCTIVE UNKNOWN

ASHLEY BICKERTON

BENCAB 

CHARLIE CO 

DZIKRA AFIFAH

HANDIWIRMAN SAPUTRA

JANE LEE

JIGGER CRUZ  

LESLIE DE CHAVEZ  

MARINA CRUZ 

MARK JUSTINIANI 

SUZANN VICTOR 

UJI HAHAN HANDOKO EKO SAPUTRO  

WEI LIGANG  

YUNIZAR

*July 05 – August 09 2026*

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Forging Ahead: The Productive Unknown

 

brings together fourteen artists from across Southeast Asia and beyond united not by geography or generation, but by a shared experience of making — specifically, the experience of working at Yogyakarta Art Lab (YAL), Gajah Gallery’s experimental foundry and residency space in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Founded in 2012, YAL was built on a simple but demanding premise: that artists grow most when they are placed outside the comfort of what they already know. Over the years, it has welcomed painters who had never touched bronze, sculptors who arrived with fixed ideas and left with different ones, and artists at every stage of their careers who were willing to submit — at least temporarily — to the logic of unfamiliar materials and the knowledge of expert craftsmen. What emerges from that process is rarely what was planned.

The works in this exhibition span bronze, aluminium, glass, ceramic, and experimental composites. They come from artists as distinct in sensibility as Ashley Bickerton, whose work mines the absurdities of contemporary life with dark wit; Yunizar, whose sculptural practice is inseparable from the cultural and spiritual worlds of Minangkabau; Bencab, whose material investigations are steeped in political and social tales; who pushes the boundaries of what painting can physically be; and Wei Ligang, whose calligraphic forms find new life in three dimensions. Alongside them, Suzann Victor and Charlie Co bring the weight of Philippine artistic tradition into conversation with new processes; Handiwirman Saputra and Uji Hahan continue the Indonesian art inventiveness that have long defined their practices; while Dzikra Afifah, Marina Cruz, Leslie de Chavez, Jigger Cruz, Mark Justiniani — four of the Philippine most compelling contemporary voices — complete a gathering that is as much about dialogue as it is about individual achievement.

What ties all fourteen together is not a single aesthetic or argument, but a willingness to work uncertainty — to trust the unfamiliar not as an obstacle but as a method. In that lies the condition possible: **Forging Ahead**. The productive unknown is what it yields.

*** credit to the owners of the photo & articles otherwise cited

If you like my any of my concept research, writing explorations, art works and/or simple writings please support me by sending me a coffee treat at my paypal amielgeraldroldan.paypal.me or GXI 09053027965. Much appreciate and thank you in advance.

Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™' s         connection to the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) serves as a defining pillar of his professional journey, most recently celebrated through the launch of the ACC Global Alumni Network.  

​As a 2003 Starr Foundation Grantee, Roldan participated in a transformative ten-month fellowship in the United States. This opportunity allowed him to observe contemporary art movements, engage with an international community of artists and curators, and develop a new body of work that bridges local and global perspectives.

Featured Work: Bridges Beyond Borders         His featured work, Bridges Beyond Borders: ACC's Global Cultural Collaboration, has been chosen as the visual identity for the newly launched ACC Global Alumni Network. 

​Symbol of Connection: The piece represents a private collaborative space designed to unite over 6,000 ACC alumni across various disciplines and regions.

​Artistic Vision: The work embodies the ACC's core mission of advancing international dialogue and cultural exchange to foster a more harmonious world.

​Legacy of Excellence: By serving as the face of this initiative, Roldan's art highlights the enduring impact of the ACC fellowship on his career and his role in the global artistic community.

Just featured at https://www.pressenza.com/2026/01/the-asian-cultural-council-global-alumni-network-amiel-gerald-a-roldan/

Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™         curatorial writing practice exemplifies this path: transforming grief into infrastructure, evidence into agency, and memory into resistance. As the Philippines enters a new economic decade, such work is not peripheral—it is foundational.   

 

I'm trying to complement my writings with helpful inputs and prompts. Bear with me as I am treating this blog as repositories and drafts.    

Please comment and tag if you like my compilations visit www.amielroldan.blogspot.com or www.amielroldan.wordpress.com 

and comments at

amiel_roldan@outlook.com

amielgeraldroldan@gmail.com 

A           multidisciplinary Filipino artist, poet, researcher, and cultural worker whose practice spans painting, printmaking, photography, installation, and writing. He is deeply rooted in cultural memory, postcolonial critique, and in bridging creative practice with scholarly infrastructure—building counter-archives, annotating speculative poetry like Southeast Asian manuscripts, and fostering regional solidarity through ethical art collaboration.

Recent show at ILOMOCA

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16qUTDdEMD 

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Asian Cultural          Council Alumni Global Network 

https://alumni.asianculturalcouncil.org/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPlR6NjbGNrA-VG_2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHoy6hXUptbaQi5LdFAHcNWqhwblxYv_wRDZyf06-O7Yjv73hEGOOlphX0cPZ_aem_sK6989WBcpBEFLsQqr0kdg

Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™          started Independent Curatorial Manila™ as a nonprofit philanthropy while working for institutions simultaneously early on.   

The           Independent Curatorial Manila™          or          ICM™          is a curatorial services and guide for emerging artists in the Philippines. It is an independent/voluntary services entity and aims to remain so. Selection is through proposal and a prerogative temporarily. Contact above for inquiries.    

 

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 Disclaimer:

This work is my original writing unless otherwise cited; any errors or omissions are my responsibility.The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any organization or institution.

Furthermore, the commentary reflects my personal interpretation of publicly available data and is offered as fair comment on matters of public interest. It does not allege criminal liability or wrongdoing by any individual.