20/20

Art republik wishes gajah gallery a happy 20th birthday.

- Nadya Wang

Gajah Gallery is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Under the stewardship of founder Jasdeep Sandhu, it has been a stalwart presence in the regional art scene. Originally trained as a lawyer, the art dealer came to fall in love with Southeast Asian contemporary art, and opened Gajah Gallery’s first space at Monk’s Hill. At present, the gallery is housed in a sprawling warehouse space at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Indonesian contemporary art has been at the core of Gajah Gallery from its early days, and the gallery has built a reputation for its support of academic writings on Indonesian art. Jasdeep has continually collaborated with academics and curators to publish related literature, contributing significantly to the critical discourse on Indonesian contemporary art.

A few years ago, Jasdeep set up Yogya Art Lab (YAL), a gallery space and production house in Yogyakarta, the heart of Indonesia’s art scene, as a space for artists to experiment with materials not typically found in their oeuvre. Bali-based American artist Ashley Bickerton, Indonesian artist Yunizar and many others have worked with local artisans in YAL to expand their individual practices.

To mark the gallery’s 20th anniversary, Art Republik takes a trip down memory lane with Jasdeep to find out more about his journey as a gallerist thus far, and about his plans for the future.

How did the gallery get on its feet?