Cerpen Pertama
Project type
Thesis
Date
2025
Location
Toronto
Medium
Mixed-media Installation, Projection, Metal, Cardboard, Bronze, Wood, and Plastic.
Cerpen, meaning “short story” in Indonesian, is a mixed media installation combining sculpture, projection, and kinetic light. Rooted in the traditions of Wayang Kulit (Indonesian shadow puppetry), this work reimagines shadow play as an evolving, interactive visual narrative. Rather than presenting a fixed story, Cerpen invites the audience into a fluid experience of shifting lights, silhouettes, and perspectives.
Constructed from cardboard, bronze, and metal, the mythical world inspired by Padang becomes both a physical space and a projection screen—where shadows dance and new stories emerge with each cycle. Lights move on a programmed slider, and every few hours, the projectors shift angles, revealing previously unseen scenes and compositions. This continuous transformation mirrors the ever-flowing river: no two moments are ever quite the same.
The installation is intentionally open-ended, allowing light and shadow to lead the storytelling without strict control. As an artist, I find myself discovering new moments within the piece alongside the audience. This embrace of unpredictability echoes the childlike wonder that inspired the work—an ever-changing landscape where each viewer’s experience is uniquely their own.
Cerpen is a celebration of impermanence, imagination, and the magical interplay between light and form. It invites viewers to slow down, look closely, and find meaning in fleeting shadows.
