Yohan Liliyani
Still-life photography at the intersection of art and fashion
By Sharrona Valezka
Indonesian artist Yohan Liliyani (b.1992) uses still-life photography as a creative approach to self-reflection. Through her lens, she dissects everyday objects in her surroundings and builds a narrative through the use of composition and lighting. Yohan’s background as a fashion photographer has had a significant influence in constructing her artistic identity, resulting in a distinctive visual where fashion and fine art intersect.
Yohan Liliyani, ‘Untitled’ from the series ‘Organic’, 2020, photograph. Image courtesy of the artist.
Growing up, the thought of pursuing an art career did not cross Yohan’s mind. She was drawn to visual arts after joining a photography club while studying at Monash University for her Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance. After graduating in 2012, she worked in Melbourne before returning to Indonesia to pursue photography full-time. In 2016, Yohan started her practice as a fashion photographer at NPM Photography & Associates, a creative artist management and media consultancy.
Yohan Liliyani, ‘Middle Ground’, 2020, photograph. Image courtesy of the artist.
Yohan’s shift to fine art began in 2020 during the pandemic lockdown. Unable to carry out fashion photo shoots, still-life photography became an outlet to channel her creativity. Organic materials are integral elements in Yohan’s images as they communicate her views on the human experience of growth and death. The recurring theme can be seen in works such as ‘Middle Ground’ (2020), an editorial project for Indonesian publication Utterly Me. The series offers a playful take on miscellaneous items she found in her household: flowers, fresh produce, tableware, and natural elements such as water droplets. It illustrates Yohan’s ability to shine a new light on the most common objects through photography.
Yohan Liliyani, ‘Artifacts 3’, 2022, framed giclée print on 250gsm epson luster paper, 70 x 56cm. Image courtesy of the artist.
With ‘Artifacts’ (2022), Yohan marked her professional debut as an artist. It was first exhibited at ‘UNION’ (2022) by Rasasastra at Semesta’s Gallery in Jakarta, and most recently in ‘Under the Sun’ (2023) at Art Agenda. The photographs draw inspiration from the practice of archeology, and examine her personal relationship with the objects she owns. It conveys how every item, from the prized possessions to insignificant ones, have played a role in shaping her life. Yohan also sculpted for this project. She moulded clays to form abstract shapes and textures that juxtapose with the clean lines of the metallic components.
Yohan Liliyani, ‘Her’s’ from the series ‘Essence of Memories’, 2023, UV print on acrylic, 63 x 48cm. Image courtesy of the artist.
Yohan Liliyani, ‘Between My Toes’ from the series ‘Essence of Memories’, 2023, UV print on acrylic, 30 x 54cm. Image courtesy of the artist.
Her latest body of work ‘Essence of Memories’ (2023) is currently exhibited at ‘Elegi Buih’ (2023) at Art Agenda in Jakarta from 19 August to 30 September. Experimenting with a different concept, the ideas of loss and memories are communicated through a series of images depicting scenic textures. She has taken her storytelling beyond photography with an immersive visual experience. Accompanying the displayed images are hung acrylic sheets that create a reflective, textural effect resembling the ocean surface in light.
Yohan’s photographs take from fashion and fine art. Her expertise in fashion photography brings a sense of dynamism by humanising the objects she shoots, whereas her experience with fine art encourages her to be more conceptual with her fashion images. Together, they form a distinctive outlook–and aesthetic—that defines her practice.
Click here to read our dialogue with Yohan Liliyani, where she speaks about her background as a fashion photographer turned artist, her recent exhibition with Art Agenda and her fascination with archaeology.
About the writer
Sharrona Valezka is a Jakarta-based writer with an interest in fashion, art, and culture, in the landscape of Asia, especially Southeast Asia. Her writing has been published in DEW Magazine, LINEAL, Manual Jakarta, Fashion & Market, and now Art & Market.
Sharrona was a participant in the second A&M Education | Art Journalism 101 course.
