Overview
Astara’s research centers on the work of modern and contemporary Indonesian artists who employ a diverse range of visual techniques and philosophical approaches to speak to global issues. Her dissertation tentatively titled: “Hauntings in contemporary Indonesian art: Tracing cosmological and ecological knowledge through exhibition histories” centers on the work of artists from Bali and Java who engage with different media including painting, sculpture, and installation art. Her research considers the impact of artists exhibiting their work nationally and internationally, including in Japan and Singapore. Her dissertation aims to highlight how artists visually convey ecological problems by drawing on spiritual perspectives unique to Indonesia. Astara’s earlier research interests have also examined Indonesian art alongside topics of performance and movement theory, religious studies, indigeneity, and national identity.
Her writing has been published in ARTiculate: Journal of Art History at University of Victoria, Selvedge Magazine: The Fabric of Your Life, and Performing Prowess: Essays on Localized Hindu Elements in Southeast Asian Art from Past to Present an edited volume authored by Dr. Wannasarn Noonsuk.
Astara has done curatorial and educational work at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, the Legacy Art Gallery in Victoria, BC, and the California Museum of Photography. She received an MA (Art History and Visual Studies) from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, a dual MA (Southeast Asian Studies and History of Art) from the University of California, Riverside, and her BA (Religious Studies and East Asian Studies) from Indiana University, Bloomington.