Albert Yonathan Setyawan Indonesia , b. 1983

Mind Set Art Center is honored to present “Figurative Abstraction”, an exhibition featuring the artworks of Marina CRUZ, QIN Yifeng, Albert Yonathan SETYAWAN, SHI Jin-Hua, SHI Jinsong, WU Tseng Jung....

Speaking in Tongues

The ephemerality and strength of clay as a material; and the infinite realm that draws the artist in which derives from repetition and configured patterns compels Albert Yonathan to keep making his art. Born in 1983 in Bandung, Indonesia, Albert Yonathan Setyawan graduated from ITB Bandung in 2012 with MFA before moving to Kyoto, Japan, for his research in ceramics and eventually to pursue a PhD at Kyoto Seika University. In 2013, Albert was among five Indonesian artists chosen to represent the country in the 55th Venice Biennale and he installed Cosmic Labyrinth: the Silent Path which is a floor installation consisted of 1200 ceramics stupas. In 2017 he exhibited his monumental work Helios in the show Sunshower : Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now at Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan. In 2020 Albert relocated his studio to Tokyo and is presently living and working in the city.



Speaking in Tongues is the artist’s latest rendition which he worked on for the last 2 years. The title which is of a biblical origin does not have a religious connotation by the intention of the artis. However, it borrows the metaphor only to highlight that one’s spoken language needed to be unpacked and be decoded. For Albert Yonathan his practice which involves ceramics making, drawing and performance constitute a mesh of icons, symbols, imageries, myths, legends, truths and half-truths begs to be interpreted and deciphered. “I could explain the origin of the symbols I used in each work, or specified a certain forms I adopted and point to the origin of my inspiration, however words always fail to convey the entirety of my thoughts and sensation of the work. For me the experiential aspect of making the work, the monotonous act of making, moulding and firing do not just complete the meaning of the work but forms an integral part of the core of the art.” As the artist explains this persistent gap he feels with verbal explanation thence giving a twist to the title which is at once a metaphor and a tongue in cheek, not unlike the nuanced and layered aura imbued by his art that could only be experienced in presence.



Speaking in Tongues is showing 11 works by the artist, with 4 works coming from earlier exhibitions and workings and 7 new works.