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Yana was born in Jakarta and at six weeks old, uprooted and displaced to the Netherlands. Under her original name 'Yana Srikandi' she writes and speaks about growing up in a predominantly white environment. Subjects are, amongst others, racism, the 16 billion dollar adoption industry, and adoptee citizen rights. Previously Yana’s art was focused on belonging and finding home, which quite literally expressed itself in her travels to East Asia. This she combined with participating in artist residencies, to document their exploration of a “potential/ what if- home”. Recently Yana has focused more on music and writing to advocate for adopted/ displaced people like herself. Art, as in painting, has become more of a process to reflect on her emotional development, bridging the past and future.
Published on May 19th, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
Facing adoption related issues has made me feel stronger about my sense of self. Many adoptees use the phrase “reclaim our identities”, since many sadly were erased through adoption. It’s like I am on a whole other level of awareness regarding not only my identity, but also my position in society, and yes, also the art world. I am excited about sharing this regained clarity, conveying this through means of art. I made my first song earlier this year, and I have begun a new painting project where I reflect on my first time in Japan in 2013. It was very profound, because for the first time, I felt that I belonged.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Because of the pandemic, my stay in China as an artist in residence has been postponed several times. At the same time it also gave me the opportunity to focus on other parts of my life, like adoption and other forms of expression. In my writings for TWIRL 2021, I expressed how the pandemic seriously affected my art practise. At the moment I have found a way back to painting, however, writing and music are new forms I’m still exploring. In the meantime, I’ve made three paintings for a project related to an artist-in-residency in Japan that I participated in 2013. For that project, I incorporated the theme ‘Freedom’ because being part of an invisible and marginalized group myself (transracial adoptee), I seriously began to wonder about that concept. In the end I didn’t make a lot of new paintings, however, I made my first song with accompanying music video.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I like to start around 4 or 5pm, but around midnight is my favourite time, when everything has turned quiet. When I start in the afternoon I like to listen to a podcast. I often listen to some background music as well, though around midnight I work in silence. I used to be addicted to smoking cigarettes, but since I quit a few years ago, I’ve been crunching on some spices. I look out on my kitchen space, with windows quite high so that I can only see the sky. My focus time is very short, but I have taught myself to concentrate for longer times than usual. I am also a bit perfectionistic, so in that sense I am a slow painter.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Take walks in nature, meditate, move your body through yoga or dancing. It really helps me to have a clear mind and active spirit. While I am not really a fan of pushing others to go to galleries (it depends on what your motivation and ambitions are), I think it is stimulating to find like-minded art and/ or artists. For inspiration I also cannot tell you what to do: it can be a movie, a poem, a scenery, a conversation. I think that being forceful is not the right way, because in the end you have to find your own style/ way of working and making art.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am waiting for the DNA results to determine whether or not the woman found in Indonesia is my biological mother. At the moment I’m preparing to visit her, learning the language. I want to do an art project while I’m there, but I haven’t got anything specific in mind yet. Of course I’m not sure if we’re able to travel next year due to COVID-19, but it’s stimulating to make some plans already. As the China artist-in-residency is being postponed for the second year, I’m considering if my proposed project is still aligned with where I’m currently at. Furthermore, I’d like to continue to make music and write.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
Facing adoption related issues has made me feel stronger about my sense of self. Many adoptees use the phrase “reclaim our identities”, since many sadly were erased through adoption. It’s like I am on a whole other level of awareness regarding not only my identity, but also my position in society, and yes, also the art world. I am excited about sharing this regained clarity, conveying this through means of art. I made my first song earlier this year, and I have begun a new painting project where I reflect on my first time in Japan in 2013. It was very profound, because for the first time, I felt that I belonged.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Because of the pandemic, my stay in China as an artist in residence has been postponed several times. At the same time it also gave me the opportunity to focus on other parts of my life, like adoption and other forms of expression. In my writings for TWIRL 2021, I expressed how the pandemic seriously affected my art practise. At the moment I have found a way back to painting, however, writing and music are new forms I’m still exploring. In the meantime, I’ve made three paintings for a project related to an artist-in-residency in Japan that I participated in 2013. For that project, I incorporated the theme ‘Freedom’ because being part of an invisible and marginalized group myself (transracial adoptee), I seriously began to wonder about that concept. In the end I didn’t make a lot of new paintings, however, I made my first song with accompanying music video.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I like to start around 4 or 5pm, but around midnight is my favourite time, when everything has turned quiet. When I start in the afternoon I like to listen to a podcast. I often listen to some background music as well, though around midnight I work in silence. I used to be addicted to smoking cigarettes, but since I quit a few years ago, I’ve been crunching on some spices. I look out on my kitchen space, with windows quite high so that I can only see the sky. My focus time is very short, but I have taught myself to concentrate for longer times than usual. I am also a bit perfectionistic, so in that sense I am a slow painter.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Take walks in nature, meditate, move your body through yoga or dancing. It really helps me to have a clear mind and active spirit. While I am not really a fan of pushing others to go to galleries (it depends on what your motivation and ambitions are), I think it is stimulating to find like-minded art and/ or artists. For inspiration I also cannot tell you what to do: it can be a movie, a poem, a scenery, a conversation. I think that being forceful is not the right way, because in the end you have to find your own style/ way of working and making art.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am waiting for the DNA results to determine whether or not the woman found in Indonesia is my biological mother. At the moment I’m preparing to visit her, learning the language. I want to do an art project while I’m there, but I haven’t got anything specific in mind yet. Of course I’m not sure if we’re able to travel next year due to COVID-19, but it’s stimulating to make some plans already. As the China artist-in-residency is being postponed for the second year, I’m considering if my proposed project is still aligned with where I’m currently at. Furthermore, I’d like to continue to make music and write.
Find Yana Poppe on Instagram
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