Indonesia Showcases Children’s Post-Disaster Art in Jakarta

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy is showcasing 20 paintings created by children affected by disasters on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The “Bukit Mimpi” showcase at KiN Space, SCBD Jakarta, runs through October 28.

The paintings were created by children from Aceh Tamiang Regency and Pariaman City, who joined a creative recovery program. Through art, the children were given space to express their experiences while nurturing creativity and rebuilding hope.

The showcase is part of the EKRAF Peduli – Recover Together, Rise with Strength program and the Painting with Children initiative. The broader program involved 200 children, including 100 from Aceh Tamiang and 100 from Pariaman.

From those participants, 20 paintings were selected for exhibition in Jakarta, with 10 works representing each region. The exhibition carries a message that experiences resembling a “bad dream” can become a starting point for children to dream again.

Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya said creativity can give children space to recover and regain confidence after disasters. He said the children are not only encouraged to create, but also given opportunities to have their work appreciated by a wider audience.

“Creativity may not erase the traces of disasters, but creativity can become a space to restore hope. Through their works, children can express themselves again, build self-confidence, and see the future with optimism. Children from Aceh Tamiang and Pariaman are not only given space to create, but also opportunities for their works to be appreciated by a wider community,” Teuku Riefky said.

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar also highlighted the wider potential of creative activities after disasters. He said painting can help children express themselves while potentially becoming part of future disaster-management education.

“The creative economy can enter the most substantive areas by increasing the value of all works by Indonesia’s people, including extraordinary talents capable of producing artworks that we can continue to develop. I increasingly realize that painting can also become post-disaster therapy. In fact, this could become a proposed curriculum for disaster management,” Muhaimin said.

For participants such as Irga Al Fachryansyah, the program became an opportunity to improve his painting skills and explore his creativity. The student of SMPN 1 Kejuruan Muda in Aceh Tamiang also hopes similar painting activities will continue and attract more children.

“Through this activity, I learned how to paint better. This activity is useful for training creativity so I can produce better paintings. I hope painting activities like this will continue and more children will want to participate,” Irga said.

The “Bukit Mimpi” showcase concludes a series of activities covering preparation, surveys, training of trainers, bootcamps, and local showcases. Its opening featured a collaborative painting session, followed by an auction of the 20 children’s artworks.