Who Am I?
My name is Hendra Arkan, and I am based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
I work at the intersection of tourism, art, and storytelling. Over the years, I have worked as a tour guide, travel programmer, educator, community volunteer, and visual artist. Although for many, these paths may appear different, in my opinion, they are connected by a shared practice: observing, learning, and engaging with people and places through curiosity and dialogue.
I am interested in how we construct meaning from our experiences and how different backgrounds, which lead to different perspectives, shape our understanding of the world. Through guiding, writing, and artistic practice, I explore questions of culture, identity, everyday life, and the stories we tell about ourselves and others.
My Journey
Science
My journey began with a fascination for understanding how the world works. After completing my science education in high school, I studied Physics for some years at the University. Although not graduate from it, which led me to choose a different professional path, my scientific background left a lasting influence on how I think and learn. Science taught me the value of observation, questioning assumptions, and approaching ideas with curiosity and possibilities rather than certainty. Those habits continue to shape my work today.
Education
Before working full-time in tourism, I spent several years as a private tutor and student counselor. These experiences taught me that learning is rarely a one-way process. Every individual brings a different perspective, background, and way of understanding the world. Working with students helped me develop skills in communication, listening, and adaptation. More importantly, it strengthened my belief that meaningful understanding often emerges through conversation rather than instruction.
Community & Social Movement
My involvement in community activities began when I joined a local blogging community in Yogyakarta called "Canting". What started as a platform for sharing ideas and daily stories gradually introduced me to a wider network of social and cultural initiatives.
One of the most meaningful experiences during this period was participating in Seribu Burung Kertas (One Thousand Paper Cranes), a community-driven movement that used simple creative actions to spread hope, solidarity, and collective participation. The project demonstrated how small individual contributions can create meaningful social impact when brought together through a shared purpose. (You may read about the project here)
These experiences expanded my understanding of community engagement and showed me the power of storytelling, creativity, and collaboration as tools for building connections between people.
Tourism
Tourism eventually became the space where many of my interests converged. For more than a decade, I have worked as a driver, tour guide, local advisor, trip organizer, and travel programmer, guiding international travelers to Indonesia. Through the years of practice, my approach to guiding expands beyond landmarks and itineraries. I am interested more in helping visitors understand the contexts that shape a place: its history, daily life, cultural practices, social dynamics, and the perspectives of the people who live here.
Working with travelers from different countries has continually reminded me that every journey is also an exchange of perspectives. To me, travel becomes most meaningful when it creates opportunities for dialogue, empathy, and deeper understanding.
Art
Alongside my work in tourism, I have maintained an active artistic practice. My creative process began with sketching through joining a local community called IS JOGJA, and moved on to water-based painting as a way to document observations and experiences. Over time, this evolved into a broader exploration of mixed media, experimental processes, and conceptual work. Many of my works emerge from personal experiences, travel encounters, social observations, and questions that required more than just simple answers. Rather than seeking definitive conclusions, I use art as a way to investigate ideas and open space for interpretation.
For me, artistic practice is not separate from everyday life. It is another way of paying attention.
How do I Work?
"Observation sits at the center of everything I do."
Whether I am guiding a traveler, creating artwork, or writing reflections, my process begins by looking closely at what is present rather than what I expect to find. I am interested in details that are often overlooked: everyday routines, personal stories, visual patterns, cultural nuances, and the ways people interact with their environments. These observations become starting points for inquiry and conversation.
Dialogue is equally important. I do not see knowledge/information as something that is simply delivered from one person to another. Instead, I understand it as something that develops through exchange, listening, and reflection. Context matters. Places, people, and events cannot be fully understood in isolation. Every story exists within larger historical, cultural, and social frameworks. Exploring those connections helps reveal a more nuanced picture of the world.
Through observation, dialogue, context, and storytelling, I'm not trying to provide answers but to encourage more questions and perspectives which lead to empathy.
Why I make this website?
This website is a space where my different practices and experiences come together. It serves as a collection of artworks, writings, and personal projects gathered through the activity of observing, learning, and creating. More importantly, it is a place to save ideas that emerge from those experiences. I do believe there is more than just a single perspective capable of fully explaining a place, a culture, or a person.
Our understanding is always shaped by context, experience, and the limits of our own viewpoint. Because of this, I am less interested in certainty than in inquiry. I believe that observation can lead to reflection, reflection can lead to understanding, and understanding can create space for empathy. If there is a common thread running through this website, it is an invitation to look a little closer, question assumptions, and remain open to perspectives that may differ from our own.
The goal is not to arrive at final answers, but to continue the conversation.