A poetic journey through each stroke that captures the beauty of change and the echoes of the past

The solo exhibition Once Was by Iwan Effendi, founder and director of Papermoon Puppet Theatre is currently on view at ara contemporary in South Jakarta. This exhibition blends moving images, paintings, and works on paper into a captivating visual narrative, showcasing Iwan’s signature style that emphasizes both stillness and motion.

The title Once Was reflects Iwan’s origins as a puppeteer. Through this exhibition, he explores themes of memory and transformation, encouraging visitors to reflect on how stories and identities are embodied through puppetry and how they evolve over time. His works suggest that traces of the past never truly vanish, they remain as silent witnesses to an ongoing process of creation.

A key highlight of the exhibition is a 6-minute and 35-second animated video titled Wanting to Hold, Needing to Let Go. Using a distinctive technique, each frame is created from hand-drawn images on paper that are repeatedly erased and redrawn. This method produces an illusion of motion that carries deep emotional and visual impact. Structured in seven narrative segments, the video presents a dialogue between presence and absence, where lingering charcoal marks represent memories that endure.

In this artistic process, there's no turning back. Every erased drawing becomes an essential building block for the next scene, symbolizing how every ending is also a new beginning, mirroring the way human memories evolve.

The exhibition further affirms Iwan’s commitment to exploring impermanence and the beauty of continuous creation. With a minimalist yet evocative approach, he invites visitors into a contemplative space that honors what once was transformed perhaps, but never truly lost.

Iwan Effendi is an internationally acclaimed artist, known for his solo exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. He has also participated in group exhibitions around the world, from Europe to Latin America.

Once Was runs through June 21, 2025, and is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 11 AM to 7 PM, at ara contemporary, South Jakarta. It offers a powerful visual and emotional journey for those who appreciate contemporary art.

photo source: instagram.com/aracontemporary

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