In celebration of our 14th anniversary, we are extending our appreciation to those who have made significant contributions to the improvement of design in Indonesia by presenting Indonesia Design Best Design Awards. This is Agan Harahap, a nominee in the Best Emerging Artist category.
Being one of the few Indonesian artists who uses photography and digital imaging as their platform, Agan Harahap established his reputation by creating an edge that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. He is often cited as a ‘master photoshopper’ and is regarded as one of the most prominent artists of his generation.
Often made using montage techniques, Agan’s works are a fusion of relevant social commentaries and pop culture references, composed in the style of a glamorous publicity photoshoot that creates parodies or surreal recreations of factual moments in history.
Since 2009, Agan has been showing his artworks through a series of solo exhibitions around the region from Jakarta and Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. This year, Agan stirred the contemporary art scene by presenting his version of social realism in an exhibition in Singapore hosted by the Mizuma Gallery. In this exhibition, he ‘borrows’ some famous paintings by Indonesian art maestros such as Hendra Gunawan, S. Sudjojono, Basuki Abdullah and Dullah; and presents them as his own version of social realism in the current zeitgeist.