Indonesian artist and illustrator, Muhammad Taufiq or known as Emte, held a solo exhibition at Kunstraum Traube gallery in Mühltal-Traisa, Germany, from 18 October to 1 December 2024. Titled “REST.LESS.NEST: Life in a Megacity”, the exhibition displays 50 drawings and watercolour paintings that illustrates life in Jakarta, Indonesia, captured from the eyes of the artist born and bred in Jakarta.
The idea for the exhibition came from the infamous traffic jam of the city. “The street is like a second home to Jakartans like me. Every day we commute to the closest station, we ride the train or the bus, continued with a motor-taxi ride. It feels like we work and rest more on the streets than at the office or at home,” Emte explained. “Spending too much life in traffic is far from ideal. I just wanted to highlight how Jakartans found their own way in surviving in the city. They are the soul of Jakarta.”
“REST.LESS.NEST: Life in a Megacity” is Emte’s first solo exhibition in Germany. Volkmar Hoppe, the director and owner of Kunstraum Traube gallery, said that the collaboration with Emte is in-line with the gallery’s mission to be a place for international exchange. “It is a great opportunity to introduce our audience to an international artist, through whose works we can learn about their background. Jakarta’s complexity is different from the condition in Germany. Through Emte’s personal point of view, I think we can all be inspired in terms of the creativity in highlighting social issues,” Volkmar inserted.