RUCI Art Wall Returns: 21 Selected Artists from More Than 300 Proposals

After Eight Years, RUCI Art Wall Returns: 21 Selected Artists from More Than 300 Proposals

RAW Vol. 2 highlights a new generation of Indonesian artists through works that explore music, identity, memory, family, and the experience of coming of age.

After an eight-year hiatus, RUCI Art Space returns with RUCI Art Wall (RAW) Vol. 2, a group exhibition featuring 21 selected artists chosen from more than 300 proposals submitted through an open submission process.

First introduced in November 2018, RAW is one of RUCI Art Space’s programs, born from a simple idea: to provide artists who are developing their practices with a space to introduce their work to the public and experience the exhibition process firsthand within the ecosystem of an art gallery.

The large number of proposals received for RAW Vol. 2 marks a significant milestone for RUCI Art Space. Amid the growing number of galleries and art exhibitions in Indonesia, the enthusiasm of more than 300 artists demonstrates that the need for exhibition spaces and platforms for a new generation of artists remains substantial.

Following a selection process based on visual strength, ideas, and artistic context, 21 artists were selected to participate in the exhibition, which runs from August 9 to September 27, 2026, at RUCI Art Space, Jakarta.

“RAW Vol. 2 brings together two forms of ‘youth’: those who are young in age, and those who may have been developing their practices for years but are only beginning their exhibition journeys. What we see is not merely a difference in medium or visual approach, but the courage to explore experiences that are closest to themselves.”

— Rio Pasaribu, Gallery Director and Co-Founder of RUCI Art Space

From Jazz to Lingering Memories

The works presented in RAW Vol. 2 range from deeply personal experiences to broader reflections on contemporary life. Music, family, identity, memory, consumption, the body, and the experience of growing up emerge through a variety of mediums and artistic approaches.

One such perspective comes from Elfa Zulham, who is better known as an Indonesian jazz drummer and as part of groups such as Tomorrow People Ensemble and Batavia Collective. In RAW Vol. 2, Zulham brings his close relationship with jazz into the medium of painting.

He portrays legendary figures such as Billie Holiday and Miles Davis in unconventional compositions: dressed in basketball jerseys and painted on sheets of music scores from their works. This intersection of jazz, popular culture, and visual art becomes Zulham’s personal tribute to the musicians who have shaped his musical journey.

A different story emerges through the work of Rosa Guerinoni, one of the younger artists featured in the exhibition. Rosa uses reclaimed wood sourced from old houses as her painting surface. The material is not treated merely as a canvas, but as a vessel carrying memories embedded within the work.

“Each panel carries traces of a previous life. The layers of paint, scratches, and marks left by the passage of time become part of the artwork itself.”

— Rosa Guerinoni

Rosa previously studied Classical Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy. In her practice, she explores the relationship between material, the human figure, identity, and memory.

Meanwhile, Labaika Adkha Maharani presents a resin sculpture titled Belajar dari Yang Kecil (Learning from the Small Things). The figure in the work extends both hands as if offering something invisible. It is not an object, but rather the simple experiences that gradually disappear as one grows into adulthood.

Through a simple gesture, the work invites viewers to look again at the small things that are often considered insignificant, yet ultimately shape the way we understand life.

21 Perspectives, Without a Single Narrative

RAW Vol. 2 is not built around a single overarching theme that all participating artists are expected to follow. Instead, the exhibition creates space for diverse perspectives and personal experiences to exist alongside one another.

The 21 artists participating in RAW Vol. 2 are Alfan Manthovani, Anady Aria, Anzi Matta, Bismar Siagian, Elfa Zulham, Jerojerrr, Fitra Rahardjo, Gusti Kade, Iqbal Dwi Priatna, Jaz Abraham Pratama, Labaika Adkha Maharani, Lowpop, M. Rizky Aditya, Raymond Gandayuwana, R. Dewa, Rosa Guerinoni, MivetBoi, Shavira Mada, Suwandi Waeng, Svkmatra, and Trio Muharam.

Through RAW, RUCI Art Space hopes that the open submission process can serve as a way to expand access for artists who have had limited opportunities to exhibit their work in gallery spaces.

“The number of proposals we received shows that there are so many artists with works and ideas they want to share, but they may not yet have the space to present them. We hope that more galleries and art institutions will open programs like this, creating more doors for artists to take their first steps.”

— Neysa Soediro, Marketing Director of RUCI Art Space

For RUCI Art Space, RAW is not simply about discovering new names. The program is an effort to open up a starting point—a place where an artwork can first encounter the public, conversations can begin to take shape, and an artist’s journey can develop further.

RUCI Art Wall Vol. 2 runs from August 9 to September 27, 2026, at RUCI Art Space, Jakarta.