Tab Space, Wangirupa Creative Art Space,
Jl. Setrasari Kulon 26B,
Bandung, 40152, Indonesia
12 – 26 September 2024

We are excited to present, Capturing Surrounding, an exhibition conceived by Tab Space and Art et al. that highlights international artist collaborations.

Capturing Surroundings or, in Indonesian, “Merekam Sekitar”, is a collection of collaborative works by two neurodivergent artists from Indonesia, Suzanne M Yazid and Angkasa Nasrullah Emir, and two artists from the UK, James Lambert and Richard Phoenix. These collaborations were made possible through the British Council's “Connection Through Culture” program, which was awarded to Tab Space to work with Art et al. Over six months, the four artists recorded their favourite things, exchanged stories and inspirations, and created new artworks together.

The presentation of these works aims to showcase the synergy that emerges from diverse perspectives in culture, language, and human cognitive structures. Neurodivergent individuals—those whose brain functions differ from what is considered typical or normal—often have a unique visual style. The contrast between these visual elements becomes a compelling point of exploration. Through the documentation of these projects you will see how they interacted and responded to each other’s works, and how they captured their surroundings from their differing perspectives.

Suzanne and James captured sensory experiences for their pieces, responding to the five senses: The Sounds of City, The Taste of Coffee, The Smell of Home, The Feel of Love, and The Sight of Light. Suzanne, a 41-year-old artist with cerebral palsy, creates lines with a specific character; though they appear staggered and unstable, this very quality gives them a rhythmic beauty. James responded to Suzanne's lines with abstract graphic drawings, adding layers of colour and integrating some of her line forms.

On the other hand, Angkasa and Richard focused on recording birthday moments. Angkasa, an artist on the autism spectrum, has a tendency to repeat activities he finds enjoyable, with birthdays being one of them, so Angkasa has drawn about his birthday over and over again. In contrast, Richard rarely celebrates birthdays but was intrigued by how Angkasa visualised his birthday. This made him think differently about birthdays, and them being more about a time to bring people together rather than a focus on an individual.

Angkasa's works depict the atmosphere of the birthday party he longs for. In the piece “Ulang Tahun 1”, Angkasa, always accompanied by a facilitator, created multiple layers of overlapping object lines including people, food and presents. Meanwhile, Richard responded to the birthday party theme with charcoal silhouettes of friends celebrating—dancing, enjoying food, and chatting. He also included some Indonesian words as a trace of his interaction with Angkasa.

The diverse ways these four artists understand their surroundings reveal that even though their perspectives and experiences are diversely different, this fostered artwork that showcased tolerance, inclusion, and diverse self-expression.

Peer to Peer projects pair neurodivergent and learning disabled artists with their non-disabled peers, in line with Art et al.'s ethos of championing a more inclusive contemporary art world.

>> Exhibition & Event Information

Exhibition: 12 – 26 September 2024
Location: Wangirupa Creative Art Space, Bandung, Indonesia
Open to the public: 1 - 5pm

>> Installation Photographs and Walkthrough

Here are a series of installation photographs of the exhibition in Indonesia, featuring the four artists works together. There is also a walkthrough of the exhibition space underneath, for those who were unable to get there in-person. You can make this full-screen by pressing the arrows in the corner.

>> Artist Talk

Huge thanks to everyone that joined us online for the artist talk on Saturday 21 September! Watch this space for the video recording that you can access anytime and hear from the participating artists, Art et al and Tab Space.

>> Plan Your Visit

Access at Wangirupa Creative Art Space
- All times are listed in WIB (Western Indonesian Time) unless otherwise noted.
- The exhibition is wheelchair accessible.
- Toilets are not wheelchair accessible so please plan your visit accordingly.
- Talk to the gallery invigilator to support with any access needs, including a tour of the exhibition.
- Contact our partners at Tab Space for questions: hello@tabstudio.org

How the Peer to Peer Projects Came About

Tab Space explains in this transcript, translated from Tab Space’s Journal (read the full text in Indonesian here):

When we finally got the opportunity to network and collaborate with international artists, we were excited and optimistic that this would be a meaningful experience. This collaboration project is supported by a grant from the British Council's ‘Connections Through Culture 2023’ program, obtained by Tab Space. The program connects art and culture practitioners from Asia and the UK. From February to July 2024, Angkasa Nasrullah Emir and Suzanne M Yazid were paired with two UK artists [invited by] Art et al., Richard Phoenix and James Lambert. Facilitated by Annisa Fanny, Nurul Lathifah from Tab Space, and Lisa Slominski and Jennifer Gilbert from Art et al., the collaboration operated like an online art class session. Art et al. is an inclusive arts platform connecting studios and galleries from the UK and Australia.
Meeting with Art et al.
When we learned that the program would involve a UK partner, we immediately thought of contacting Art et al. Our introduction to Art et al. began when Sim Luttin, who was running a program with the Australia Council of Arts, visited Tab Space. Sim introduced us to the platform she developed with two UK partners, Lisa Slominski and Jennifer Gilbert. Art et al. brings together studios from the UK and Australia that support the work of disabled artists, offering new references and networks for our fledgling studio.
Art et al. is an international platform connecting studios that support the work of disabled artists globally. Its collaborations result in critical writings, exhibitions, and multimedia content. Supported by organizations like the Australia Council for the Arts, the British Council, and more, Art et al. fosters partnerships that create diverse artistic projects. Excited about networking with UK studios, Sim Luttin connected us with Lisa Slominski and Jennifer Gilbert, initiating a journey of collaboration despite cultural differences.
"Peer to Peer" Collaboration
The "Peer to Peer" program, initiated by Art et al., connects neurotypical and neurodivergent artists. It operates through virtual sessions where paired artists collaborate harmoniously. Tab Artists Suzanne M Yazid, who has cerebral palsy, and Angkasa Nasrullah Emir, an artist with autism, were paired with UK artists James Lambert and Richard Phoenix. Over six virtual meetings, the artists exchanged portfolios and responded to each other's work, fostering cross-cultural and creative growth. This initiative adapts Art et al.'s approach to inclusivity and collaboration.
The Artists
Suzanne, an artist with cerebral palsy, loves coffee and enjoys making it herself. She has a distinctive line style, with her artwork showcasing unique curves. Suzanne was paired with James Lambert, a London-based artist and illustrator who has worked on creative projects across various disciplines, including fashion, film, architecture, and illustrating current events for newspapers.
In addition to Suzanne, Angkasa Nasrullah Emir also participated in the program. As an artist with autism, Angkasa enjoys exploring various media for his artwork. His works reflect his spontaneous and authentic character. In this program, Angkasa was paired with Richard Phoenix, an artist based in London and Southeast England. Richard's practice includes painting, drawing, writing, music, and learning how these can be used to support the community. He has worked with disability arts organisations and has been an Associate Artist for 'Heart n Soul' since 2015.
From this program, we realised that the synergy of diverse differences—cultural, linguistic, and cognitive—can show us that the wide gaps between these differences actually foster a form of creation that breathes tolerance, inclusion, and diverse self-expression.

Suzanne M Yazid, James Lambert, Angkasa Nasrullah Emir, Richard Phoenix.

Project and exhibition collaboration #1

Peer to Peer / Angkasa and Richard

“Creating Alongside Each Other with Music” by Jennifer Gilbert

For our 14th Peer to Peer collaboration, Angkasa from Tab Space in Indonesia, made new work live and in-between sessions with UK-based artist Richard Phoenix. Creating alongside each other whilst listening to music over Zoom allowed for further inspiration, with each artist mimicking what the other had been doing. After hearing about Angkasa’s passions, Richard quickly came up with a list that they agreed to focus on: food, music and celebrations, ultimately a birthday party: “ulang tahun.” From this point on large-scale drawings and paintings grew to incorporate all elements of parties, as well as smaller cut-out objects in cardboard and wood that could feature separately. Food was a big topic of conversation, the guestlists, and of course the presents! Both artists created their biggest ever works, and we cannot wait for you to see these live.

>> Project and exhibition collaboration #2

Peer to Peer / Suzanne and James

"Drawing the Invisible" by Rizka R. Safitri

We typically use words and language to describe things perceived by the senses, but can abstract concepts be visually represented? Suzanne and James, facilitated by Nurul Lathifah (Tab Space) and Lisa Slominski (Art et al), came up with the idea of drawing these invisible aspects, expressing their interpretations of sensory experiences—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Each artist independently created visual representations and exchanged responses. They titled the sensory themes based on personal interests: The Sound of the City, The Smell of Home, The Feel of Love, The Sight of Light, and The Taste of Coffee.

Clockwise from top left: Lisa Slominski, Nurul Lathifah and Suzanne M Yazid, Tab Space Logo, and James Lambert.

About Tab Space

Tab Space is a social enterprise based in Bandung, Indonesia that supports artists with disabilities. They provide a platform for artists with disabilities to contribute to the community and be practitioners. Tab Space is the only supported studio that has a physical space engaged in disability and inclusion in Bandung. Tab Space aims to enable artists/illustrators with disabilities to play a role in the community ecosystem and earn an income. Tab Space accommodate the talent and effort of these artists believing that, with the right support system, disabled artists can become professionals practitioners.

Visit Tab Space website