Stefanus Endry Pragusta's Steampunk Surrealism Creates Miniature Societies from Found Objects
Stefanus Endry Pragusta, an artist from Yogyakarta, creates enigmatic installations from discarded materials such as action figures, animal toys, bells, machine components, and parts of desk lamps. His artwork showcases peculiar beings, including the Passenger Ark Noah series (2016), featuring vibrant sheep and ducks with elongated wire necks, cows with mechanical heads, and woolly mammoths on thin legs. Another collection, Tolak Bala (2017), presents light-brown figures draped in sheets, exposing human feet, chair legs, or deer hooves, with some embellished with rabbit ears or antlers. Pragusta's illustrations portray dense scenes of tentacled, humanoid mutants amidst makeshift homes, offering a surreal take on urban life. He describes his playful creations as 'steampunk surrealism,' crafting a disquieting fairytale realm. By assembling these hybrid forms from remnants, he constructs miniature societies that reflect the complexities of democracy and the diverse landscape of contemporary Indonesian politics. His work suggests new modern myths, turning bizarre or humorous figures into social critiques. Pragusta resides and works in Yogyakarta, with his studio situated in Laganden Playen Gunungkidul. This profile was chosen by Eko Nugroho and featured in the Summer 2017 edition of ArtReview Asia, in collaboration with K11 Art Foundation.
Key facts
- Stefanus Endry Pragusta creates installations from found objects like action figures, animal toys, bells, machine parts, and desk lamp pieces.
- His Passenger Ark Noah series (2016) includes colorful sheep and ducks with elongated wire necks, cows with gears and motors for heads, and woolly mammoths with tall, spindly legs.
- The Tolak Bala set (2017) features light-brown beings covered in sheets, with human feet, chair legs, or deer hooves, and some sprouting rabbit ears, antlers, or megaphones.
- Pragusta's drawings show dense scenes of tentacled, humanoid mutants among makeshift houses, reimagining urban street life.
- He describes his work as 'steampunk surrealism,' creating a troubling fairytale world.
- His assemblages of hybrid chimeras from junk and playthings form miniature societies commenting on democracy and Indonesian politics.
- Pragusta lives and works in Yogyakarta, with his studio in Laganden Playen Gunungkidul.
- This profile was selected by Eko Nugroho and published in ArtReview Asia's Summer 2017 issue, in association with K11 Art Foundation.
Entities
Artists
- Stefanus Endry Pragusta
- Eko Nugroho
Institutions
- ArtReview Asia
- K11 Art Foundation
Locations
- Yogyakarta
- Indonesia
- Laganden Playen Gunungkidul