Max Mara Announces Winner of 10th 'Max Mara Art Prize for Women'

Max Mara has announced Dian Sastrowardoyo, an Indonesian artist, as the winner of the 10th 'Max Mara Art Prize for Women'. Sastrowardoyo will participate in a six-month residency program touring various locations across Italy. The prize is organized by Max Mara, Collezione Maramotti, and Museum MACAN, with the winner selected in collaboration with curator Cecilia Alemani. As the 10th recipient, Dian Sastrowardoyo was chosen for this award. Established to support and promote emerging and mid-career artists at a crucial stage of their careers, the prize provides a tailored six-month residency program across Italy, conceived and managed by Collezione Maramotti, designed to develop the project proposed in the application. The results of her project will be presented as a solo exhibition at Museum MACAN in Jakarta in summer 2027, followed by a re-exhibition at Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in autumn of the same year, where the work will become part of the museum's collection. The winner was announced on May 7, 2026, coinciding with the opening of the 61st La Biennale di Venezia (Venice International Art Exhibition). The announcement featured Cecilia Alemani, curator and chair of the jury for the prize, alongside Sara Piccinini (Director of Collezione Maramotti), Venus Lau (Director of Museum MACAN), and Elia Maramotti (representative of the founding family of Max Mara and Collezione Maramotti). Sastrowardoyo was selected from five finalists, including Betty Adiwidjaja, Zikra Afiffa, Ipe Nur, and Mira Rizki. The jury was chaired by Cecilia Alemani and included Venus Lau (Director of Museum MACAN), Amanda Ariawan (Curator), Meegan Erlin (Gallerist), Evelyn Halim (Collector), and Melati Suryodarmo (Artist). Born in Kebumen, Indonesia, in 1985, Sastrowardoyo is currently based in Yogyakarta. Her work explores themes such as women's political subjugation, authoritarianism, fascism, patriarchy, and capitalism, drawing from her daily experiences as a single mother. Her art is situated at the intersection of domestic narratives and state power, utilizing diverse media including installation, painting, sculpture, and video, and demonstrating a keen sense of space. Her award-winning project, 'Crafting Spirit: Cultural Dialogues in Heritage and Practice,' examines the impact of the intersection between religious craft traditions and capitalist systems through comparative research in Italy and Indonesia. It re-evaluates contemporary issues such as the commercialization and exploitation of faith through the creation of objects of prayer and religious imagery. This project also attempts to trace the embodiment of faith, care, and ritual within physical gestures and handicrafts. Sastrowardoyo views craft as a 'living archive,' positioning it as a medium that reflects cultural, social, and economic transformations. Her perspective extends spirituality beyond the religious domain into an unspoken realm of meaning, articulated through repetitive, body-rooted actions. The residency begins in Assisi, Umbria, and continues to Rome, Lecce in Puglia, and then Florence. Throughout these locations, she will deepen her understanding of religious culture and craft techniques, proceeding with research and creation in parallel.