Mella Jaarsma
Born in Emmeloord, the Netherlands in 1960. She grew up in the Netherlands and studied visual art at ‘Minerva’ Academy, Groningen (1978 – 1984), after which she left the Netherlands to study at the IKJ (Art Institute of Jakarta, 1984), Jakarta and at ISI ( Indonesia Institute of the Arts, 1985 – 1986), Yogyakarta and stayed ever since in Indonesia. Her work has been presented in several exhibitions in Indonesia as well as in international art events like; Soul Ties – Singapore Art Museum – Singapore, Third Asia Pacific Triennale – Queensland Art Gallery – Brisbane, I eat you eat me – Center of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University – Bangkok, ARS01 – KIASMA – Helsinki, EV+A 2002 – Limerick City Art Gallery – Limerick, Gwangju Biennale – Gwangju, Site & Sight, Sculpture Square – Singapore, Open2002 – 5th International exhibition of Sculptures and Installations – Lido – Venice. Her work is in mayor public collections Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, etc
In 1988, Together with her partner Nindityo Adipurnomo she founded the Cemeti Gallery in Yogyakarta (since 1999 changed into Cemeti Art House) curating monthly changing exhibitions and projects. Since 1995 she also has been active at the Cemeti
Art Foundation -Yogyakarta, coordinating and curating international exchanges at the foreign program section. Regularly she gives workshops and lectures in Indonesia and abroad at Duta Wacana University-Yogyakarta, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum – Fukuoka, Griffith University -Goldcoast, The Substation – Singapore, Lasallesia College of the Arts – Singapore, etc