When Coffee Plants No Longer Bear Fruit (18/20)

b. 1973, Indonesia; based in Yogyakarta

Surya Wirawan often deploys Javanese folk tales and mythology to frame his narratives. The title of this piece (Ketika Pohon Kopi Tidak Berbuah Lagi) is a lamentation about when coffee plants no longer bear fruit. This piece itself is an adaptation of a short story by Kiswondo about a coffee farmer who struggles with crop failure, exploitation by middle men, and low coffee prices. The sombre atmosphere in the picture is apparent in the forlorn facial expressions, and the use of space and distance in the composition heightens a sense of barrenness and scarcity.

The eighteenth painting out of twenty.