Clay to shards: The role of making in Albert Yonathan Setyawan's artistic practices.

This article focuses on the role of making in the artistic practice of Albert Yonathan Setyawan, an Indonesian contemporary artist known for his clay and ceramic works. It employs a phenomenological approach to explore how Setyawan’s direct, repetitive engagement with clay and ceramics—through techniques like pinching and slip-casting—fosters a deep bodily and material understanding that transcends cultural interpretations of materiality. The study highlights how Setyawan’s process of making, including the arrangement of numerous palm-sized ceramic objects in symmetrical patterns, embodies spiritual and meditative dimensions while connecting human experience with natural transformation and historical ritual practices. Ultimately, the article argues that making is a mode of engagement that links the artist’s self-awareness, material sensitivity, and environmental connection, offering insights into contemporary material-based art practices.