Abdi Alam pt.1 exhibits remnants of a weaver’s forest ruminations during his pilgrimage in Merubetiri National Park, 2017 and Gunung Gede Pangrango, 2021. The abandonment of roots, deforestation of a family, and the shedding of change are several extensions of A. Sebastianus’s contemplation throughout his cyanotype prints and woven studies. A line represents a single tree, a woven cloth embodies a whole forest.
The traditional lurik weaving motif, telupat symbolizes the sacred barrier worn by the loyal servant to protect the royal palace. Abdi Hutan (2021 - end) is on-going installation that re-sacralize lurik weavings as forest guardians at the age of the Anthropocene. Wrapped and armored in hues of Indigofera, trees are protected and blessed from illegal loggers at the borders of an endangered forest. Represented by ISA Arts & Design at Abdi Alam pt.1 in Omah Budoyo Gallery, Jogjakarta the pilot installation will extend with forest conservators across Java, starting with the Merubetiri National Park, Java.