Aurora Santika
Aurora Santika, an Indonesian painter, creates works that speak of the ironies and complexities of human relationships. She often highlights the deceptively mundane struggles of everyday life, the understated process of breaking a cycle of violence, and the fleeting moments of simple happiness—all while turning them into epic visual tales with symbolisms and metaphors inspired by various works of fiction and cultural iconographies.
Biography
Aurora Santika was born in 1996 in Bogor, Indonesia. As a child, she found solace in books, movies, and recordings of musical dramas, which implanted her love for fiction—an influence that would later emerge in her artistic practice. In 2013, she moved to Yogyakarta to study painting at the Fine Arts Department of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta, earning her Bachelor of Arts in 2018. She also recently participated in the Vermont Studio Center residency during the July-August 2024 session under the Jon Imber Painting Fellowship.
Aurora has participated in multiple group shows and two solo exhibitions:
Breaking Through (2018), curated by Suwarno Wisetrotomo
Dreamscape Anthology (2023) with STEM Projects of Srisasanti Syndicate
Her current style displays intricate details in full and dense compositions, with complex visual narratives masked by the ethereal qualities of a fantasy realm. She draws inspiration from both her own life stories and those of others, often considering her artistic practice as a never-ending effort in understanding life and as a personal way to communicate things she finds difficult to discuss.
For more information and to explore Aurora's work, visit her official website: aurorasantika.com
