Irfan Hendrian By Megan Arlin
Irfan Hendrian spends most of his time in his studio in Bandung, meticulously crafting sculptures out of paper every day. Formerly a mosque, Hendrian’s studio is a constant work-in-progress. To Hendrian, his studio is perpetually ‘under construction’ and he makes upgrades to his studio annually, with a projected concept of how it will be in the back of his mind. At present, he describes his studio as ‘three-fifths’ completed, with a paper-processing centre, woodworking workshop, meeting room, and small backyard for monthly barbecues. His eventual goal would be to have an additional design studio and space for artist residencies, with the intention of having more artists, designers and architects to work together at his studio. As Hendrian once quipped, ‘I’ll lure them with my barbecue’. Hendrian’s formal training in graphic design and industrial printmaking is the groundwork for his craft. Since 2011, Hendrian has been mostly working with paper—applying an efficient and logical approach to creating works that reduce and subtract, drawing everything down to their most essential states. Since then, Hendrian’s works have evolved from small sculptures to large-scale ones, all the while retaining the use of paper as his primary medium. ‘Paper is a big part of my life,’ says Hendrian, and he plans to maximise the potential of this simple medium by using unconventional techniques not previously employed in traditional artmaking. Having recently been awarded the Deustche Bank Pacific Fellowship, Hendrian has the perfect opportunity to further his practice during the Leipzig International Art Programme. Starting November 2021, Hendrian will begin his three-month residency in Leipzig. He plans to expand his practice by
SEP/OCT 2021
Irfan Hendrian Rusted corrugated steel, wood slab, salmon wood, concrete slab & brick, 2021 sculpted paper 40.2 x 42 x 6 cm
