Street Art Workshop: Stencil as a Critical Visual Language

This workshop proposes an introduction to stencil-based street art as a critical visual language situated within public space, political discourse, and personal narrative. Led by artist Anagard, the session explores stencil practice not merely as a technical process, but as a historically and conceptually significant method within contemporary street art.

Stencil art has long functioned as an accessible and reproducible tool for visual intervention, often employed to disseminate social commentary, political critique, and personal ideologies within urban environments. Through this workshop, participants will engage with the foundational principles of stencil production and application, while reflecting on its role in shaping collective visual culture.

Artist Bio:
My name is Anagard, I have always been deeply interested in the relationship between art and society, which is why my art is not only in the galleries but also on the street. I learned stencil techniques autodidactically, by directly creating works on city walls. My personal works explore socio-political and environmental issues. I believe that art must contribute to life — it emerges from social turbulence and moves through multiple spaces: from the studio to the street, to the gallery, to the field of research, and finally into private reflection. Through manually cut stencils and spray paint, I consistently bring my work to both public spaces and galleries. The colourful aesthetic and visual character of my work are influenced by my childhood experiences of drawing Minangkabau traditional house ornaments and painting West Sumatran landscapes. Today, my artistic hybridity continues to be shaped by both Sumatran and Javanese culture, particularly in batik patterns, wayang motifs, and the dynamic movements of jatilan dance. My work has also been shown internationally, with solo exhibitions such as From Nasi Padang to the World (NAFA, Singapore, 2024) and Spray, Peace, Diversity (Cuturi Gallery, Singapore, 2022). My public murals and installations have appeared at festivals and biennales across Asia, Europe, and Australia. As Art Director of the Yogyakarta Street Art Festival and founder of Cosmos Street Art community, I am committed to collaboration and exchange and look forward to contributing to the dialogue of community-driven art.