Two Indonesian art students are about to embark on an intensive art program of cultural orientation and investigation at The University of Western Australia (UWA) to see how art education differs from their home school in Java.

Annisa Atami (Tami) and Arienska Aliani (Arien) have travelled from the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, to participate in an art intensive project called Apa Kabar? (How are you?) developed by Associate Professor Paul Trinidad from the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts at UWA.

The project will teach Tami and Arien the "Aussie way" of metal plate etching and printing as well as introducing them to cutting-edge laser etching - a very new and modern technology available at the Faculty.

The Indonesian students will generate laser cut printing blocks from a suite of photographs taken in Denpasar, Bandung and Perth to create a portfolio of prints which will later be exhibited.

Assoc Prof Trinidad says, "One of the main objectives of the project is to offer students from Indonesia and Australia insights into our different scholarly and social cultures, creative urges and outputs.

"UWA can offer Tami and Arien a technologically high print media experience with rapid output, which is quite different from the traditional hands on processes that they are taught at the ITB."

The Apa Kabar? project is an extension of Assoc Prof Trinidad's Bagus Hati and Truly Bagus Indonesian-International projects which aim to push creative boundaries by exposing students to new concepts outside of the four walls of the studio and into a global environment.

Indonesia is the third country involved in an art cultural project created by Assoc Prof Trinidad with previous projects completed in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Media references

Angela Reimers - ALVA Marketing Manager: 6488 1859 / 0421 793 151
Assoc Prof Paul Trinidad - ALVA Lecturer: 6488 7177 / 0410 699 037