Jayanto Tan: No Friend’s But The Ghost (Ceng Beng)

10 October – 19 November
Jayanto Tan created this ‘soft still life’ sculpture during the COVID-19 lockdowns in response to conversations or personal attacks related to race, class, migration, stereotype and identity. As an immigrant visual artist from North Sumatra, Jayanto cherishes the diversity of Western Sydney where he works and rests. ‘Ceng Beng’ symbolises imposed rest, a time to contemplate mortality and respect the spirit of the elders. This work-in-progress combines earthenware clay and embroidery on found fabrics that represent the spirit of the Deli River, where Jayanto was born, and the Cooks River, his adopted home.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with Diversity Arts Australia.

About Jayanto Tan
Jayanto Tan is a visual artist who was born and raised in a small village in North Sumatra to a Sumatran Christian mother and Guandong Taoist father. Now living in Sydney, Jayanto fled poverty and political repression in search of a better life and his practice blends Eastern and Western mythologies with the reality of current events. His works have been selected for the 66th Blake Prize, a solo show at Verge Gallery and he won the 11th Greenway Art Prize in a small sculpture category. Jayanto holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Fine Arts from National Art School.