Bandung-based artist Mulyana, better known as Mang Moel, brings his signature modular knitting and crochet techniques to the theme of food in his exhibition Food Monster: Playful Bites at Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, Jakarta, running from 1 October to 31 December 2025.
For over a decade, Mang Moel has been transforming yarn into imaginative, tactile worlds through his distinctive modular knitting and crochet methods. Playful Bites serves as the central concept of the Food Monster Project, a series of works that explore the intersection of art, play, and sensory experience.
In Food Monster: Playful Bites, he continues this creative journey, reimagining food and presenting art not merely as a visual object but as a multi-sensory encounter, something to be seen, felt, and experienced as part of everyday cultural conversations. Here, food is not only a biological necessity but also a social symbol that nurtures human connection. Through his modular signature technique, Mang Moel transforms culinary forms into colourful and meaningful food characters. In doing so, the exhibition moves beyond playful aesthetics, opening a reflective space on how food serves as a universal language of togetherness, both as subject and metaphor, across a spectrum of forms, from intricate, intimate creations to immersive gigantic artworks.
The idea for the Food Monster Project emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, when Mang Moel spent time in South Korea. Confined to a hotel room and served neatly arranged bento meals, he began experimenting by creating “food monsters” and documenting them through photos and videos. This exploration evolved further during his participation in the Chonju Craft Biennale in Korea. From his bento box documentation, forty-one monster forms were born, later transformed into knitted artworks. All of these (41 works) are now displayed at Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, each encased in acrylic glass, creating a fascinating visual composition.
Mang Moel’s modular approach reflects the idea that every small element contributes to a larger whole, just as society is formed by individuals with diverse experiences. With its bright colors and organic shapes, the work invites visitors to revisit their own memories of taste, intimacy, and shared moments.
Exclusively for Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, Mang Moel also explores Indonesian traditional snacks (jajanan pasar) through a recreated street food cart installation. On display are crocheted versions of local delicacies such as, kue ku, kue lumpur (mud cake), putu bambu (rice flour filled with palm sugar, steamed in bamboo tubes), lemper (rice cake filled with shredded chicken), getuk lindri (casava cake), apem (pancake), and many others. A tumpeng (rice cone) takes centre stage, made entirely from yarn.
“I asked Mulyana to create something Indonesian, specifically for Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, which is traditional snacks or kue basah or jajanan pasar, because of their striking colours. This also aims to help today’s children know and love our traditional cakes,” said Engel Tanzil, Founder of Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace.
Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace
Jl. Kemang Selatan No. 99A
Jakarta Selatan 12730
dialogue-artspace.com
