Zakaria Pangaribuan

Zakaria is a multidisciplinary artist from West Kalimantan, whose practice centres on the reinterpretation and management of Dayak visual symbolism across painting, animation, sculpture, and installation. For him, Dayak traditions play a vital role in shaping social knowledge, belief systems, customary law, moral values, and ritual practices elements he approaches through the lens of the Anthropocene as a conceptual space for artistic creation. Zakaria’s work critically engages with issues of ecology, the loss of local knowledge, and cultural hybridity, weaving these concerns into his broader narrative of artistic production.

Title : Daynamic of Haring

Size : Installation 200x200 cm

Medium : Mixed

Year : 180x130cm (2025)

Dynamic of Haring is an installation inspired by Batang Garing, the Tree of Life in Dayak cosmology, which symbolises the balance between humans, nature, and the Creator. In traditional understanding, the forest was regarded as a father, the land as a mother, and rivers as the lifeblood of existence. Today, however, this worldview is steadily eroded by modernisation: forests are transformed into oil palm plantations, rivers are exploited by gold mining, and land is reshaped for large-scale development projects such as Indonesia’s new capital, Ibu Kota Nusantara.

This work reflects ecological and cultural imbalance through a series of visual symbols: the hornbill head (enggang)represents spiritual connection; heavy machinery signifies modern intrusion; and fragmented tree trunks embody the loss of harmony. Paintings on canvases shaped like traditional house roofs depict Indigenous resistance, with fire appearing as a symbol of enduring spirit and resilience.

Dynamic of Haring serves as a reminder of the importance of local wisdom as a pathway towards a sustainable future. It opens a space for dialogue between tradition and progress, calling for collective awareness to restore and protect the harmony between humans and nature amid rapid change.