About
Tirta Winata is a photographer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Started out as a self-taught, he earn his master’s degree in art creation of from Jakarta Institute of Arts.
His work began as a deeply personal practice; being present in nature as a form of meditation, a way to experience freedom and solitude. His initial intention was to transport those significant feelings into tangible photographs, allowing the viewer to experience the same sense of peace he felt.
Over time, his photography grew from a personal exploration into a calling. He came to see his work as a way to reveal how nature adorns itself, in a way conveying its voice since it cannot speak for itself. He mainly portrays a single element of nature in its environment as if it exists in a pristine, unspoiled state, free from human intervention. This approach reflects as a form of appreciation, much like how a human portrait is taken to serve the purposes of identity, commemoration, or artistic exploration.
This has led him to define his work as "elemental photography." The term signifies his focus on showing the fundamental components of the natural world as they exist in their purest and most intact state. By stripping his subjects down to their essential forms, he invites the viewer to connect with nature on a deeper, more direct level.
Upcoming Exhibitions
September 12-21 2025: Indonesia Photo Fair 2025 by Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest) - S. Sudjojono Gallery, Ismail Marzuki Park, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Exhibitions
Indonesia Photo Fair 2024 by Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest) - S. Sudjojono Gallery, Ismail Marzuki Park, Jakarta, Indonesia (2024).
Artesis 2 - Cipta Gallery, Ismail Marzuki Park, Jakarta, Indonesia (2022).
Urban Coexistence - Art Gallery Building - Faculty of Fine Arts, Jakarta Institute of Arts, Jakarta, Indonesia (2022).
Awards
Honorable mention, 2020-2021 B&W Minimalist Photography Prize - B&W Minimalism Magazine (2021).
Top 50 Images, Nature/Landscape Category - The Epson International Pano Awards (2016).
Publications
Reconectando con nuestros orígenes - Culturamas (2025).
Bersikeras - Penerbit Toedjoeh Delapan (2023)
Tirta Winata zeigt Indonesien in schwarzweiß - Kwerfeldein (2021).
Collecting Fine Art, The Lumas Portfolio Vol. IV - teNeues (2019).