Ay Tjoe Christine

Ay Tjoe Christine (born in 1973 in Bandung, where she continues to live and work) is one of the most acclaimed artists in Indonesia and known for her intricate layered paintings and thought-provoking installations. While studying Printmaking and Graphic Art at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Ay Tjoe started her career as a graphic artist, experimented with dry-point technique. Later on, she transitioned from dry point on paper to painting with oil bar on canvas, without losing a prevalent principal in dry point technique - the balance in positive and negative space.

Her paintings are full of colourful shapes and strong strokes, giving a sense of distortion and disorder. She is largely intrigued by human emotions and hence in her work, she expresses inner feelings such as melancholy, struggle, pain and happiness. These feelings are a large part of our human nature and her interests have revolved around the extensive issues of personal human life.Often, only fragments of her subject matter manifest visually, allowing for a strong sense of abstraction.

Ay Tjoe's works have been widely exhibited at museums across the world including: solo shows "Christine Ay Tjoe," Kunstmuseum Schloss Derneburg, Hall Art Foundation, Derneburg (2022), "Ay Tjoe Christine: Spirituality and Allegory," 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (2018), "Christine Ay Tjoe: Perfect Imperfection," Song Eun Art Space, Seoul (2015) and "The Famous One from Lucas," Third Floor - Hermès, Singapore (2011), and groups shows at Singapore Art Museum (2012), National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (2012) and Saatchi Gallery, London (2011). Her works are held in the collections of major institutes, such as 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (Ishikawa, Japan), Asia Society Museum (New York, USA), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore), Museum MACAN (Jakarta, Indonesia), Akili Museum of Art (Jakarta, Indonesia), M+ Museum (Hong Kong), Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai, China), K11 Art Foundation (Hong Kong), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA), and Met Asia Society (Hong Kong).