Artist

Ifada Nisa

Ifada Nisa is a self-taught artist based in Indonesia. Her degree in Architecture has shaped how she views spaces, both literally and metaphorically. Chairs and landscapes feature as the two predominant subjects in her work, both signifying a space inhabited by humans. The two interweave to create a setting that echoes the stillness and emptiness of spaces, capturing a moment that is made by humans, lived by humans and then left by humans too. She sees her work as a tool to communicate with her inner world and relay to the viewer through the means of storytelling.

“Nature has always been a muse in my works; the mountain and the sky, the trees and the moon. These elements are frequent collaborators in my exploration. Then comes the chairs, as these new kids on the block. I have piles of baking paper that are dedicated to sketches of chairs. Though I love to capture a setting, a moment, and tones, it also becomes fundamental to infuse a narrative into my work. The imagined narrative is what amused me to explore more into their world." — Ifada Nisa


AVAILABLE ARTWORKS

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March Drop 2025

"‘The Night Elegy’ explores the many faces of the night: darker tones, spooky feelings, and mysterious settings with objects that appear to be stranded." - Ifada Nisa

September Drop 2024

"We are each other's magnitude and bond", wrote Gwendolyn Brooke, ending her poem titled Paul Robeson. The poem itself is a testament and dedication to the artist and social activist Paul Robeson. I found that quote during my long quest to understand one's roles: what are we for each other? —a question that has been bothering me since the dawn of time (perhaps that was the beginning of my chair metaphor). My question and Gwendolyn's quote are a dance between a seeker and an answer, embodied in this body of work. I use pastels in smaller layouts to create a bold but closer environment and acrylic gouache in a larger & more complex setting to create spaciousness for viewers to witness. These imaginary lands are vessels for the chairs that appear in a close-up, at a distance or even disappear altogether; an observation of one's presence and absence in time & memory, in family and society." - Ifada Nisa, What Are We For Each Other

May Drop 2024

"In this collection of work, I explore loss and grief after the absence of my father. The chairs here representing mourners, prayers, and us as a family; capturing moments, mood, & memories before and during his sickness and after his passing. A reminisce. A beautiful farewell." - Ifada Nisa, Keeping Diary of Grief

November Drop 2023

“Presence explores chairs as the main subject, trying to answer question: what does it mean to have a presence and how to blend it with the element of nature.” - Ifada Nisa, Presence

September Drop 2023

“Exploring colours and moments using time as a token. What do we remember from a moment? I love how colours are our visual tools to define time: the colour of the sky, the colour of the leaves, and land, and autumn, even we dream in colours. Moments are fleeting, but colours live forever in our memory.” - Ifada Nisa, A Study of Time

July Drop 2023

"'Landscape of The Heart' explores a collective feeling at the changing of time. I choose the setting at the hill facing the vastness of the sky, imagining a contemplative retreat there; A refuge, A temple; The sky to identify time. 'Blue Hour' marks the beginning of time, the birth of the light, it indicates hope. 'We Are A Creature of Longing' contemplates the end of the day with a feeling of longing. These two painting mirror each other, a shift from dark to light and vice versa, emphasizing impermanence. While in 'Weight', it is important to me to see the subject there alone facing the world with the weight she carries; to make it look small enough compared to the scale of the place but not too small as she is a standalone warrior, the main focus, that what she is and the reality of everything she carries is important; The shadow is another persona, a false look of what she wants people to see her. I created 'Weight' especially for women, for my mother, and all mothers before her." - Ifada Nisa, Landscape of the Heart

May Drop 2023

"While some of the pieces in this collection are the continuation of my past concept, Trilogy Of Wind stands specifically for this month's drop. Still, a playfulness of what I've been exploring in all my work, adding a dialogue on the subject without erasing the mystery. Trilogy Of Wind is a satire and humour, mirroring my go-to approach when handling an apparent problem —the elephant in the room, with denial, passive, and pretence. The wind is wishful thinking. An object I borrow to name the cause of the inconvenience, but it's merely a hope: I hope it's just the wind and nothing more. The whole setting is a dance between the placement of the chairs, the place itself —the nature, and where to put the lines.

I always love the world of picture books, how the picture and the word mingle, completing each other in conveying the message. I took inspiration from it, and these pieces were my first experiment, a formula I will explore more for my future works." - Ifada Nisa, Trilogy of Wind

March Drop 2023

"When I think about this month's collection, I've finished a painting of falling chairs in pink. I just thought, "Oh, that was fun. Let's explore more." Pink is not my comfort colour. Often I find that pink is too bubbly for me, who is more comfortable with blue. I found this article from The Marginalian by Maria Popova, where she reviewed Mary Ruefle's book My Private Property, in which in the book, she paints the colour spectrum of sadnesses, one of which is pink sadness. I wonder how can pink be sad? So in this collection, I mixed pink with green, cream, burgundy, and tried to find its many faces, of course with the drama of the falling chairs. If 'On Falling and Pink' refers more to the humour: how to fall with style. There is also 'pink that is hopeful', 'pink that is lonely', winter pink, cheerful pink, and pink sadness in my version. How to give a touch into these narratives from the perspective of pink. It was hard, but I also have so much fun playing with pink and falling chairs." - Ifada Nisa, On Falling And Pink

Feb Drop 2023

"This collection was made during a period of blue. I contemplated a lot about what does it means to be strong and vulnerable at the same time. As my works always explores spaces, places, belonging, in this collection I try to look a bit closer to the intimacy of paradoxes: alone but enough, winter but not alone, dark but bright. Trying to find nuances of what it seems like two different ideas but they are actually at the same place; winter woman and warm moon." - Ifada Nisa, Winter Woman and Warm Moon

Other Artworks

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