Hedi Soetardja

(b. 1976, Indonesian)

Hedi Soetardja is an artist based in Jelekong, an area known as a “painters’ village” in the Southern part of Bandung. Besides working on commissioned paintings to make a living, Hedi uses his spare time to work independently, building networks and reputation in the Bandung contemporary art scene.

Hedi’s earlier works were inspired by “Outsider Art” that utilizes spontaneity to create his paintings. Today, his artistic impulses come in the form of expressive scribbles and layering of colors. The scribbles are expressive forms of writing/text representing his sentiments as an artist-even though they might not be entirely legible. Interestingly, Hedi’s expressive brushstrokes were not random by default; the more raw, accidental, and unexpected strokes are purposefully made and driven by his self- consciousness. His brushstrokes and overlapping gestures do not immediately take form;it involves acts of repetition, layering, staining, etc. At a glance, they seem to be traces or trails of the many gestural moments found or made during Hedi’s painting process. Hedi stated that he paints based on a desire to note down and record the way he experiences/senses daily phenomena. He believes that painting helps him, personally, delay any hasty conclusions, to put a distance between himself and prejudice. It encourages him to reflect upon his interactions with the world and to continue to assess his way of forming an understanding of it.

Hedi’s works are mostly showcased in Indonesia. He has participated in several local group exhibitions such as Yogya Annual Art #4:Incumbent at Sangkring Art Space Yogyakarta (2019); XyZ Art Unlimited at Gedung Gas Negara, Bandung (2018); UOB Painting of The Year at UOB Plaza Jakarta (2018) and more. Hedi was one of the artists in residence for “Transit #4” program at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space. His first solo exhibition Gumam was held by Bale Project and Selasar Sunaryo Art Space in 2018 at Bandung, Indonesia. In 2019, Hedi held his solo exhibition at D Gallerie with the title Derau, curated by Chabib Duta Hapsoro.