Sinta Tantra (b. 1979, New York) is a British artist of Balinese descent. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London between 1999–2003 and later continued her studies in art at the Royal Academy Schools in London, graduating in 2006. Tantra describes herself as a painter working on an architectural scale. By using abstract geometric style, exploring colour, identity, and narratives, she questions the function of spaces in her work. Sinta Tantra is highly regarded for her site-specific murals and installations in the public realm.
Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, USA (2025); (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Palm Beach, USA (2024); The Lightclub of Batavia, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, London, UK (2024); Shrines of Gaeity, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2023); All You Could Hear, Richard Koh Gallery, Bangkok (2023); Art Singapore, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Singapore (2023); Constellations of Being, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2022); On Being Blue; Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Nevlunghavn (2022); Birds of Paradise, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin (2021); Modern Times, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020); Your Private Sky, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2018); A House in Bali, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2017); A Romance of Many Dimensions, Pearl Lam Gallery, Hong Kong (2016); Fantastic / Chromatic, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2015) Essence of a Thing, House of St. Barnabas, London (2005); Nick Hornby & Sinta Tantra, Choi and Lager Gallery, Cologne (2015); Dynamic, Maximum, Tension, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool (2011); Politics of Seduction, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston University, London (2010); Arsenic Fantasy, Gaya Fusion Gallery, Bali (2010); Real Phoney, Monika Bobinska Gallery, London (2009).
Group exhibitions include (Upcoming) Expo Chicago, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Chicago, USA (2024); Art Singapore Art Fair, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Singapore (2024); Art Moments Jakarta, Sheraton Grand Jakarta, Gandaria City, Jakarta (2023); Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2023); Tutur Bentuk, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2023); KIWARI: Narasi Identitas dan Kefanaan, Tumurun Museum, Surakarta, Indonesia (2023); Women Group Show, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2023); Sua Kuasa Matra, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2023); Taru Bingin, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2023); Art Jakarta Gardens, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2023); Cure 3, Bonhams, London, UK (2023); Light in Retrospective, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2022); A New Paradise, Saatchi Gallery, London (2022); Small is Beautiful: 40th Edition, Flowers Gallery London (2022); Uprising, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Berlin (2022); Reverberation, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2022); Facing the Sun, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2021); Buah Tangan, ISA, Jakarta (2020); Super Flatland, White Conduit Projects, London (202); On the Nature of Botanical Gardens, Framer Framed, Amsterdam (2020); Reinventing Eve, Isa, Jakarta (2019); Y: Collect 3.0, Ruci Art Space, Jakarta; Woven & Illuminated (2019); Strangers in Town, Art Dubai, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Dubai (2019); Reflections, Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong (2018); Karachi Biennial, Pakistan (2019); Always Bright, Ambiente Indonesia via Isa Art Advisory, Jakarta (2018), Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London (2018); London Graphic, Thameside Studios, London (2018); Absorption as a way of Seeing, Pearl Lam Gallery, Hong Kong (2018); Elysian Fields: Sinta Tantra & Haffendi Anuar, Richard Koh Gallery, Kuala Lumpur (2018); Hornby Tantra, Works III, Broadgate, London (2018); Tetap Terang / Always Bright, ISA Gallery, Jakarta (2018); Voyage to Indonesia, The World Bank, Washington DC (2018); Empirical Atlas, Pearl Lam Gallery, Singapore (2017), High Noon, Accademia Belle Arti di Rome, Rome (2017); Acts of Transgression, Pearl Lam Gallery, Singapore (2017); Summer Mostra, The British School at Rome, Rome (2017); Identify Your Limitations, Acknowledge your Periphery, Vitrine Gallery, Basel (2017); Changing Perspective, Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta (2017); Quotidian, Pearl Lam Gallery, Shanghai (2017); I Lost my Heart to a Spaceship Trooper, Griffin Gallery, London (2017); Spring Mostra, The British School at Rome, Rome (2017); Lost and Found: Place, Space; Identity, the World Trade Centre, Jakarta (2016); Painting Now, Riccado Crespi Gallery, Milan (2016); Infinity in FluxART, Jog, 8 Yogakarta (2015); Inspired by Soane, John Soane Museum, London (2015) Nick Hornby & Sinta Tantra: Collaborative Works, Choi and Lager Gallery, Cologne (2015); Bend Sinister, I-CAN, Yogjakarta (2014); What You See Is What You See, Sinta Tantra and Carsten Fock, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2014); Gatekeeper, William Holman Gallery, New York (2014); Indonesian Contemporary Art and Design, Grand Kemang Hotel, Jakarta (2013); The Fine Line, Identity Gallery, Hong Kong (2013); Nick Horby & Sinta Tantra: Collaborative Works, Canary Wharf, London (2013); Confined, NEST Gallery, The Hague (2012); And There Was..., Salon Vert, London (2010); Present Perfect, Monika Bobinska Gallery, London (2009); Nothing Works, Shoreditch Town Hall, London (2008); Gatti, The Canal Museum, London (2008); Picante, Deutsche Bank; London (2007); Twelve to One, curated by Ann Elliott, Canary Wharf, London (2006); Baroquerocks!, Espace Brochage Express, Paris (2005); Salon de Freehand, Seventh Gallery, Melbourne (2005); Boo Hoo Hoo! I’m between a Laugh and a Cry, Ada Street Gallery, London (2005); Waiting, Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg (2005).
Highlights and collections
Sinta Tantra’s artworks can be found in international private and public collections, including Government Art Collection UK; Louis Vuitton Collection Southeast Asia; Karachi Biennale; Benetton Collection; Folkestone Triennial, Canary Wharf; Tumurun Museum, Indonesia; Museum MACAN, Indonesia. Tantra is a recipient of many awards including the Bridget Riley Drawing Fellow at The British School at Rome (2017); Shortlisted for the Jerwood Contemporary Painting Prize (2015); British Council’s International Development Award (2014); First Prize, Painting and Decorating Industry Award (2012);The Royal British Society of Sculptors AHRBS (2012);Shortlisted for the Jerwood Contemporary Painting Prize (2010); British Council Grant (2009); Courvoisir ‘The Future 500’ in partnership with The Observer Newspaper (2009); Arts Council England (2007); and Deutsche Bank Award (2006), The Gordon Luton Award, The Worship Company Painters Stainers Trust (2006); Michael Moser Award (2005); Paul Smith Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Arts (2003-2006) and the Henry Moore Sculpture Fund (2002). In 2018 she received an artist residency at the Stoneleaf Retreat, New York (2018). Sinta Tantra’s work has been featured in both UK and international press including The Evening Standard, Tate Shots, FAD Magazine, The Jakarta Post and BBC Radio Indonesia.
Public commissions include: Sunset Ombre, One Satrio, Mega Kunigan, Jakarta (2022); Pink Moon Rising, Seolhaewon, Gangwon-Do (2021); Temple of Flora, Ocean Flower Island, Hainan (2021); Illuminated, 22 Bishopsgate, London commissioned by Contemporary Art Society (2021); The Grand Tour, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London (2020); The Crossing Mount Daemo, The H Honor Hills, Seoul commissioned by Hyundai (2021); Poins Square, Jakarta (2020); Horizon to Horizon, Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, Sharjah (2019); Bright Dawn, Karachi Biennale, Karachi (2019); Compose Motions and Tasted Flight, Honer Hills, Seoul commissioned by Hyundai (2019); Sunset in Tanah Lot, Facebook, London (2018); Collaboration with Nick Hornby, Broadgate sites, London (2018); In the Mood for Love, Lee Tung Avenue, Hong Kong (2018); Paintworks, commissioned by Crest Nicholson, Bristol (2018); 1947, Folkestone Triennial, Folkestone (2017); Pailo Drappallone, Commune di Siena, Italy (2017); Diamond Minutes, Hana Bank, Incheon, Korea (2017); The Sound of Colour, St. Paul’s Way Medical Centre, London (2017); A Union in Partition, private commission, London (2016); A Means of Liberation, Newnham College, Cambridge University (2016); Songdo, South Korean Government, South Korea (2015); Sensory Garden, Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital, Bristol (2015); The Eccentricity of Zero, Royal British Society Sculptors, London (2015); Greater Reality of Elsewhere, Locwus International, Swansea (2015); The Eccentricity of Zero, Royal British Society of Sculptors, Holland Park, London (2013); Together Yet Forever Apart, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool (2012); A Beautiful Sunset Mistaken For a Dawn, Canary Wharf, London (2012); A Good Time and a Half!, Southbank Centre, London (2007). Neon Tetra, CreateKX, Camley Street Natural Park, London (2007); Isokon Dreams, London Borough of Camden, Regents Park Bridge, London (2007); Line Up, Platform for Art, Piccadily Tube Station, London (2007); Emporia, London Fashion Week’s On|Off, 6 Burlington Gardens, London (2006); Party Surprise, Christchurch University, Canterbury (2006); Tantra’s most notable public work includes a 300-metre long painted bridge commissioned for the 2012 Olympics, Canary Wharf, London.