This show marks a milestone in my long-term project documenting the Tenggerese of Ngadisari, East Java, since 2017.  After its fall, descendants of the Majapahit Empire (A.D. 1293–1517) retreated to Tengger’s volcanic highlands, building a Hindu society around sacred Mt. Bromo, an active volcano. While the world is focused on major global events, the Tenggerese fight a silent battle. Their rituals and agrarian life sustain a fragile symbiosis with Mt. Bromo, while their millennia-old Tenggerese culture continues to wane due to depopulation, secularisation, and migration.

The photography project employs visual methods to visualise the Tenggerese in Ngadisari, to provide a visual archive and sensory experience of their world. Beyond photographing with just the eyes, I attempt to capture the images using my five senses and replicating them in my photographs. I hope my audience can experience the climate, smell, sound, sight and flavour of the Tenggerese homeland just by looking at my photographs. An approach I call “sensory photography”.

Biography

Vincent is a visual artist using photography as his main instrument of expression. As a scholar-artist, Vincent is advocating “sensory photography” and “fine art documentary”. He is currently a lecturer at the Communication University of Zhejiang.

Website: vincentliew.info

Facebook: /vincentliew.s29