Irene Febry is an emerging Indonesian artist whose career is defined by collaborative projects as a contemporary artist and an art educator. Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, she was employed at Etonhouse International Pre-School in Jakarta from 2014 to 2016. Febry worked as an atelierista, a person with a background in education and creative arts who works with teachers and students, devising and facilitating learning experiences that complement the classroom curricular.

In 2017, Febry moved to Bali and focused on developing her collaging practice. She combines delicate layers to construct aesthetic ideas, from paper cuttings and fabrics to objects, materials and the human body, harmonically captured in digital images.

Collaborative artist: After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, Irene Febry was employed as an Atelierista at Etonhouse International Pre-School, Jakarta, 2014 - 2016. (JP/Courtesy of Irene Febry)

“I love investigating colors, shapes and different materials," Febry told The Jakarta Post. "I paint, draw, stitch and collage and assemble materials, mostly with recycled and found objects. I'm interested in creating another way to look at them, like giving them a second life."

"My process provides me with the flexibility of constant change. The compositions transform in size and detail and evolve into microcosms of colors and shapes interacting with one another and forming a dynamic. I like seeing the details in layers, the intricateness and textures; the illusion of perspective and depth."  

Human, Febry’s 2020 collaboration with photographer Govinda Rumi and model Aziza, is a series of black and white and colored digital images exploring art on the human body. Bodypaint, printed fabric, balloons and strings combine with the female form, unlocking the extraordinary potential of three talented young creatives. The results are wonderfully imaginative, rich in expression and ethereal poetic qualities. Superb negative spaces highlight the compositions.

“I enjoy being with people, and making art with others always gives me a blast of energy and inspiration. Many years ago, I observed several artists doing community art projects. I was inspired by how it united people,” said Febry, born in Bogor, West Java, in 1989.

Charcoal for Children 2021: Tell Me Tales is an ongoing workshop program involving artists working with children from villages around Bali and is presented by CushCush Gallery, Denpasar. Through the workshops, children explore their creativity, imagination and become more aware of their surrounding environments and culture. They collaborate with different multidisciplinary creatives: Febry and two other artists.

Compositional collaboration: A collage composition in progress from Irene Febry's collaboration with Balinese artists Nova Kusuma. (JP/Courtesy of Cakravala)

“So far, we’ve engaged with three villages; each has a different environment and culture. The first visit was Desa Ole, in the Tabanan regency, surrounded by beautiful rice fields. Here, the collage works incorporated lots of greenery and wildflowers. The next project was in Batuan, Gianyar, renowned for the ‘Batuan School of  Painting’. The children combined Batuan style drawings into their charcoal works. The third village, Panglipuran in Bangli, Central Bali, is situated near a massive bamboo forest. The collages included bamboo leaves, and other plants found nearby,” Febry explained.  

"The children get to learn something different yet relevant to what they have in their surroundings. The facilitators learn about the children's culture while putting together a children's storybook, scheduled to be published in 2022. The value of these projects is the exchange of knowledge," Febry explained. "Not everyone can have access to art supplies, and understanding what we already have in our daily lives that can be utilized is important. The parents were grateful their children had activities other than playing with their mobile phones."

Microcosm, Febry’s first solo exhibition held from May 22 to June 11 at Uma Seminyak in conjunction with Puri Art Gallery as part of the Art Moments art fair, presented 14 collages. Fused paper cuttings and delicate, colorful materials take organic shape and are mounted directly to the gallery wall and framed paper.

Creative kids: Irene Febry co-facilitates a collage workshop with children from Desa Ole, Tabanan, Central Bali as a part of CushCush Galleries 'Tell me Tales' ‘Charcoal for Children’ workshop programs. (JP/Courtesy of CushCush Gallery)

“My work can be purely abstract, or sometimes it abstractly illustrates an idea. My inspiration comes from nature and my immediate surroundings. I observe as if I’m looking through a magnifying glass. When people look at a house, I will be looking at the cracks on the walls," Febry said.

“Every artist has a unique way of perceiving things, along with distinct skillsets. There are many things that I cannot do. I love it when I talk to others and they bring in ideas and possibilities that I would never have thought of or be able to do. Collaborations enable us to create fresh artworks and push us out of our comfort zones. There are endless explorations and possibilities. Continuous learning is essential; if we stop, we become stagnant.”