IMANUELA OLIVIA
Olivia Imanuela imanuelaolivia@gmail.com
+62-822-444-00298
@erraticarchives__
@otonom__
@littleowel
Olivia Imanuela (b.1992) is an architect born in Surabaya. She completed her architecture studies in Surabaya, Indonesia (2014) and Melbourne, Australia (2017). Upon her studies, she realizes the implications of architectural discourse to domains beyond like art, literature, history, politics, and social structure in daily life. She believes that to some extent, architectural thinking is applicable to art - and vice versa; broadening her view on architecture itself beyond the act of thinking and building.
Her interest and approach come from her multiple professional backgrounds, beyond the academic discipline box and label. She is interested in forming her own life philosophy, the roots of being, or her own ‘raison d’etre’. Her works are motivated by the story-telling aspect that heavily presents in both architecture and mankind history. Her wide lens come from the curiosity to learn and analyze broad topics beyond art and architecture, even from Mining to Botanical. Olivia keens to put forward not only wide perspectives in her artistic endeavors, but also multi-layered critical thinking over (mostly) her two dimensional works. Through her works that mostly express her slices of life, she hopes to initiate some open ended questions that lead to another self-discovery and understanding that aspire us to be a forward-thinking mankind.
Education
University of Melbourne
Master of Architecture (2015-2017) Melbourne School of Design
Petra Christian University Bachelor of Architecture (2010-2014) Architecture Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning
Exhibition & Events’
‘Ibu’ Duo Art Exhibition SIDHARTA Art Gallery (2023) Jakarta
Artist Workshop & Talks for Elyon Christian High School ORASIS Art Space (2024) Surabaya
Professional Architecture Experience
OTONOM, Architecture Studio, Surabaya 2020-Current
LLIGHT
Architectural Lighting Studio, Sydney (offshore) 2022-Current
Tsai Design, Architecture Studio, Melbourne 2019
Neil Architecture, Melbourne 2017-2019
Studio Guest-Critic University of Melbourne, Gift to the City 2017
AA Visiting School, Lombardia, Italy LugoLand Analog Photography Workshop 2017
Architectural Awards and Scholarship
International Postgraduate Coursework Award (IPCA) Awarded by University of Melbourne (2016-2017)
Melbourne Global Scholars Awards Awarded by University of Melbourne (2017)
Best Project Awarded for Studio D & E By Scott William Woods and Rennie Liffen University of Melbourne (2016-2017)
Dean’s Honor Bachelor of Architecture (2014) Awarded by Petra Christian University, the 66th Graduation Ceremony
Dean’s Honor Bachelor of Architecture (2010) 2nd best Student with GPA 3.82
Olivia Imanuela 2020-2024
Crust p. 4-15
Upper Mantle p. 16-21
Meso Mantle p. 22-27
Inner Mantle p. 28-33
Outer Core p. 34-39
Inner Core p. 40-45
p. 16-21
into the subterranean. the existing and concealed. materials---distilled minerals.
p. 22-27
p. 28-33
p. 34-39
p. 40-45
p. 34-39
p. 28-33
p. 22-27
p. 16-21
p. 4-15
OH, FINGERS! 2023
paint and photo collages on canvas 40 x 70 cm
The artwork depicts the guilt behind my stimming pattern: finger biting. As much as finger biting hurts, it stimulates a calming effect. It also constantly reminds me of Mom’s ‘wejangan’ (advices): ‘Jangan digigit terus nanti jelek jarinya’(Your fingers turn ugly when you bite). The artwork portrays the guilt for not being able to refrain versus social punishment over a simple habbit that is considered as undesirable and as unusual.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN 2023
Eating together as a family has been a constant habit since my childhood. This is how Mom teaches us the pillars of our belief, two of the simplest ones are faith and gratitude. The artwork depicts a contrast between Mom’s gospels versus my sneaky impatient thoughts which focus more on the foods and the euphoric feelings over a worldly matter.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
2023
magazine
Women that shape my life. The piece talks about the strong sister bond and our dependency of Ibu. Ibu is portrayed as the ‘core’ that sits still whom we (my sisters and I) can lean onto. From her, we learn the beauty of aging, how age transforms her physically and emotionally. From her I learn how to embrace aging in a more accepting manner and to see aging as a thing to celebrate & anticipate.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
TRANSFORMASI SELENDANG BAYI 2023
Acrylic paint and magazine collages on canvas 50 x 60 cm
A tribute to the cornerless childhood dreams, the braver Olivia who could transform into anyone and anything while wearing her Selendang Bayi.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
INVISIBLE BALLOON
An empty stage with no audience and no performer. Only an opened curtain that is supposed to reveal a floating balloon which is nowhere to be found. The painting expresses both the hollowness of something that does not exist physically, yet remains as a strong idea imaginatively.
MOM’S BLUES
2023
Acrylic paint and photo collages on canvas 80 x 70 cm
Two makes the blues. Mom is ‘G’ and I am the ‘G flat’. This is a chromatic music of memories. Flattened. Sliced. Re-arranged. Synthesized, Re-contextualized.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
TWO HORSES AND THE SUBSTANCE BETWEEN
Two horses, a polar opposite to each other. Disconnected though they speak the same language. One reaches out, one runs away. Often, both run towards their own opposite directions. Two horses long for understanding and freedom. Unfortunately, they can only choose one and not the other. Both choose freedom, and no one listens. Two horses.
A STORY OF TWO
based printing ink
In the meadow of earth blessing, the two cross path, love and grow. From one side emerges the tree of strength, hope and confidence. From the other side emerges good things that grow in fertile ground. The continuous line depicts a fate that continues to follow the two to grow inseparable.
and charcoal on 200gsm paper 21 x 30 cm
Snailnemone was an imaginary creature from the past. Fossil showed that snailnemone had a speed of a snail, anchored like an anemone, tentacles to spread and catch nearby prey. They were showy but slow. Burried deep in ocean bed, craving for movement but resist to change. They were trully and incredibly contradictory and counter intuitive creature.
From the Womb of Virgo symbolizes fertility and the universe within our body and DNA. The conenction we have to each other, physically and emotionally. We are more often alike than different, although we are never the same. The piece celebrates the life beginning and its beautiful crafted blessings.
and charcoal on 200gsm paper 21
The sedimentary human rocks are hard to penetrate. They are set to settle in place, solidified. They cover 73% of the earth’s mankind. If we are not a part of them, it is unlikely that a small matter like us dissolve or penetrate these hard rocks.
TALE OF A CRY 2022
carved linoleum printed using oil based printing ink on Awagami Editioning Fine Art Paper Kitakata (Washi Paper) 36gsm 42 x 52 cm
This piece is heavily inspired by wayang Gunungan. A wayang character which represents life and its Creator relationship. Within Gunungan, an intertwined fate exists, The union of two persons is built over prayers and paths of the past. It is both a conclusion and a beginning of life previous decisions and forward chances. Within the mountain-like shape, a tomb and a house coexist. It represents life and death interdependence. It ends and begins at the same time. They benefit each other. Without one, the other is invalid.
Mother whale watches her calf in the vicinity. This piece is driven by my recurring dreams to escape a body of water that is vast and bottomless. The piece contrasts the ocean uncertainty versus the grounded and secure feeling a mother or loved ones provide in vicinity.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
HE WHO SEEKS DOES NOT FIND
The piece contrasts the unsettling feelings and the comforts that the daily objects bring as they remind and ground us to the present time and reality.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
THE
BODY, THE BEGINNING 2024
and ink on 200gsm paper 21 x 30 cm
Manusia mendambakan kenyamanan. Tapi semenjak kandungan, tidak ada yang benar-benar aman. Dari semula, kita dipinjami dinding tipis yang seakan-akan bisa pecah kapanpun. Dibalik tipisnya, ada cukup ruang bergerak. Bersama limitasi yang ditawarkannya, ada perlindungan bagi janin yang tanpa daya. Setelah manusia itu cukup dewasa, memori ruang yang aman itu jadi kekuatan. Untuk ingat bahwa cerita dirinya dirajut, keberadaannya dijaga oleh semesta, dibalik dinding tipis itu lahir dan mulai, Ia diinginkan dan dinantikan.
TWO DEAD BIRDS 2023
Acrylic paint and photo collages on canvas 80 x 80 cm
A landscape of memories, scattered and trancends. The day grandma passed away, I saw two dead birds on the hospital roof. To me, it symbolizes a peaceful end, a better place. The work is an abstraction of the fond memories scattered throughout one’s life. Slices of life, woven by time and chances.
Exhibited at SIDHARTA Art Gallery in 2023 as a part of ‘Ibu’Art Exhibition.
