In Conversation: Mella Jaarsma, Moe Satt and Jakkai Siributr with Rachael Vance

Join us for an online artist talk with Moe Satt, Jakkai Siributr, and Mella Jaarsma, three internationally recognised artists currently on view in Transfer.

Moderated by the exhibition's curator, Rachael Vance, this is a chance to connect with the artist's process and broader practice, from Moe Satt's performance art rooted in Myanmar's turbulent past to Jakkai Siributr's intricate textile installations reflecting on Thai nationalism and memory and Mella Jaarsma's influential costume-based works examining cultural identity and the politics of protection. 

Mella Jaarsma is a Netherlands-born artist based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, since 1984. Known for her complex costume-based installations, Jaarsma explores themes of cultural identity, racial diversity, protection, and the politics of the body. She is also the co-founder of Cemeti Art House, a significant platform for contemporary art in Indonesia. Her work has been exhibited at ROH Projects (Jakarta), A+ Works of Art (Kuala Lumpur), and Jendela Art Space (Singapore), and featured in the Sydney Biennale, Setouchi Triennale, Biennale Jogja, and Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei.

Jakkai Siributr is a Thai artist renowned for his meticulously handcrafted textiles, including tapestries, quilts, and immersive installations. His practice draws on traditional textile techniques to explore contemporary issues such as religious identity, nationalism, and historical memory. By embedding narrative and symbolism into his textile works, Siributr reflects on social and political tensions in Thai society. His works have been presented at the Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester) this year, Centre for Arts & Textile (Hong Kong) in 2023/24, the Asian Civilisations Museum (Singapore), the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), and are part of collections including the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art and the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.

Moe Satt is a visual and performance artist currently based in Amsterdam. His work explores the body as a site of identity, resistance, and memory, reflecting on Myanmar’s sociopolitical history and personal narratives from 1983 to 2015. Using gesture, posture, and participation, his performances and installations engage with censorship, repression, and the politics of expression. As part of a pivotal generation of Burmese artists, Satt continues to create work that responds to collective trauma and the evolving language of protest.

Rachael Vance is an Australian director, writer, and curator with over twenty years of experience working within contemporary art in Australia and Europe. She has worked across the public and private art sectors within art museums and commercial art galleries, in addition to producing independent curatorial and writing projects. Currently based in Queensland, Vance is the Director and Curator of the ARNDT Collection.

Images (L-R): Mella Jaarsma Photo: Yudha Kusuma Putera. Moe Satt Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Nova Contemporary. Jakkai Siributr Photo: Matthieu Lunard.