At a glance

• Shanghai exhibitions in November 2026: 2 (Ota Fine Arts and Longlati Foundation)
• Years ago she nearly quit painting: about 14
• Year she graduated from ITB: 1997
• First gallery contract: 3 years, exclusive, with Edwin’s Gallery

Christine Ay Tjoe has two exhibitions opening in Shanghai on the same day this November. Her studio hours, though, depend on whatever needs her at home first.

Christine Ay Tjoe is a contemporary artist from Bandung, Indonesia, now in her early fifties. She is the cover star of Tatler Indonesia’s October 2026 issue, “The Grace of Change.” The full interview by Adeste Adipriyanti went online at TatlerAsia.com on October 13, 2026. Her two Shanghai shows open in November 2026, one with Ota Fine Arts and one with Longlati Foundation. The online interview is free to read, but we could not confirm the print price.

What Is a Workday Like for Christine Ay Tjoe?

There is no fixed painting hour. When the house is sorted, she heads to the studio and uses whatever time she has. Over the years, she has learned that these small gaps are part of how she works.

She lives in North Bandung, close to a protected forest. She says the trees help her remember what being human feels like, something big-city life can wear down.

Her playlist may surprise you. She likes electronic music, including Daniel Avery, because the steady, machine-like beat helps her get back to work after a guest arrives or something breaks.

How Did Raising a Teenager Change Her Art?

She is a single parent, and her son is now an early teen. The way she parented him in primary school no longer works, so she is learning to control less.

Here is the twist: the lesson did not stay at home. She told Tatler she has become more patient in the studio too, and less eager to control every outcome.

Before, she would push a painting until it looked exactly right. Now, if a work feels ready to end, she lets it end.

Did Christine Ay Tjoe Really Almost Quit Painting?

Yes. About 14 years ago, before her son was born, she nearly stopped to spend her time mentoring young artists. Then exhibition offers kept arriving, and she forgot her own deadline.

Her start was modest. She graduated from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) in 1997 and worked two years at a textile office. Her first solo show mostly sold to friends, until curator Jim Supangkat visited in the final weeks.

That visit led to a three-year exclusive contract with Edwin’s Gallery. For the first time, she could tell her family that art was a real way to make a living.

What Does She Say About AI and Imperfection?

She is calm about artificial intelligence. To her, AI is also made by people, so it does not deserve extra weight or fear.

What she trusts is human experience. Someone standing in front of a painting brings their own memories to it: a person, a moment, a feeling.

“Something made by a human stays real, which means it will never be perfect.”
 Christine Ay Tjoe

Her advice to young artists is to think long term and stay humble. Being a good person comes first, she says, and the profession follows.

 

 

 

 

 

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What Happened at the Tatler Indonesia Cover Shoot?

Photographer Nicoline Patricia Malina shot the cover story, with creative direction by Hans Hambali and makeup by Donny Liem. Clothing and jewelry were from Louis Vuitton.

On set, Ay Tjoe brushed thick pink-red paint across a clear panel while the camera shot through it. The mess became part of the picture, which fits her message.

Asked what comes next, her answer was short: keep making work, and make it better.