JUMALDI Alfi

JUMALDI Alfi is a renowned artist from Lintau, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Born in 1973, he is a member of the Jendela art group, which gained international recognition in the late

1990s. His work is notable for his focus on formal and personal explorations of aesthetics and mixed media. He is a prominent figure in Indonesia’s contemporary art scene.

He is the only Indonesian artist who consistently examines the blackboard as both an object and a subject of discourse. For over two decades, the artist has developed a series of works exploring the significance of the blackboard as a medium integral to Indonesian educational culture. The blackboard was originally a colonial tool used to educate and shape children 'just enough' so they could remain part of the Dutch servant class. Instead, this tool became symbolic of the perpetuation of power confronted later with resistance and decolonization.

Jumaldi Alfi's art captures snapshots of time, with acrylic paintings featuring cursive writing and scribbles that evoke layers of memory. Some notes are partially erased but retain their stories, inviting viewers to explore beyond the surface. The use of colorful chalk further reinforces the blackboard as a political symbol, typical of Indonesia since colonial times, representing cultural advancement through empowerment stemming from education.

Other work evokes Basquiat using bright, scribbled graffiti lettering over primitive-looking figures and faces. Writing, lettering, and figurative pieces combine in an illusion of reality immersing the viewer in his personal code and a window into his souls and the soul of Indonesians like him.