ARTS & COLLECTIBLES

THROUGH THE

EMERALD LENS

Manolo Ty’s Tropics & Traditions is a breathtaking exploration of Indonesia’s cultural and ecological dualities, capturing its sublime beauty and fragile future through a lens that celebrates resilience amidst modernization and environmental challenges.

SAMANTHA GREENE

UNESCO World Heritage: The Prambanan temple during sunrise.
© Manolo Ty

Published by teNeues, Manolo Ty’s Tropics & Traditions delivers a visceral exploration of Indonesia, where sublime beauty and fragile ecosystems coexist in delicate equilibrium. This photographic odyssey captures the nation’s remote archipelagos, sacred traditions, and environmental challenges, creating a compelling portrait of a land that is both timeless and transient.

From the primordial forests of Sumatra to the kaleidoscopic reefs of the Komodo National Park, Ty captures the spellbinding natural beauty of Indonesia. His images reveal the intricate symbiosis between the land and its people—be it the Mentawai tribe’s spiritual bond with the forest or the sea nomads’ intuitive harmony with marine life. These photographs serve as both a celebration and a lament, for much of this Eden is increasingly imperiled by modernization.

Traditional village Wae Rebo is located hidden in a mountainous jungle on Flores island. © Manolo Ty

Equally arresting is Ty’s documentation of Indonesia’s rich cultural mosaic. The grandeur of Toraja funerary rites, with their intricately carved effigies, contrasts starkly with the bustling metropolises of Jakarta and Surabaya, where urban expansion rises amidst sinking soils and smog-choked skies. His portrayal of Balinese rituals, still thriving amidst an ocean of tourists, underscores the resilience of tradition in an ever-shifting landscape.

Ty does not shy away from Indonesia’s ecological and social challenges. From the apocalyptic fires in Kalimantan’s peatlands to the deforestation wrought by palm oil plantations, his work reveals the environmental cost of progress. Yet, moments of quiet resistance—like a Mentawai shaman harvesting sago or villagers restoring coral reefs—suggest the enduring spirit of those who seek to preserve their heritage against all odds.

A woman is working in a shipwreaking yard at Jakarta`s northern coast.
© Manolo Ty

The shaman Aman Ibukk of the Mentawai tribe sits in front of the fireplace with his cat. © Manolo Ty

The traditional Kecak dance, also known as the Ramayana monkey chant.

Flood protection wall in front of a new skyscraper, Muara Baru district, North Jakarta. © Manolo Ty

The waves break on the beach in Nusa Penida.

Tropics & Traditions is more than a photographic record; it is a clarion call. For collectors, this work is an artifact and a narrative—one that invites its audience to reflect on the duality of beauty and destruction. Ty’s lens reminds us that Indonesia, in its myriad forms, is a global treasure teetering on the edge of irreparable change.

This is a must-have for any aficionado of cultural and environmental narratives, offering an unparalleled glimpse into a world at once ancient and imperiled. As much an artistic triumph as it is a documentation of Indonesia’s soul, it leaves us pondering what it truly means to cherish and protect.