Notable projects include environmental-installation works staged in Gowa and Makassar (1996–1997), a multi-artist installation in 2000 supported by the Japan Foundation, and community-centered exhibitions that connected local audiences to urgent themes such as ecology and energy.
Theatre, film, and cultural storytelling
Performance has always been a living laboratory for Ishakim. He performed Datu Cammanni on TVRI Makassar and participated in World Dance Day activities.
His theater projects with Teater Kita Makassar from intimate family pieces to collaborative works at Societeit de Harmonie and international stages highlight his belief that theater can anchor communities and translate local myths into contemporary forms.
He also contributed to Indonesian cinema in feature films such as ATI RAJA, TOENG, DATU MUSENG — MAIPA DEAPATI, and DOTI.
Writing as Witness
Words have their own place in Ishakim’s oeuvre. He published several poetry collections and anthologies, titles include Kuantar Kau ke Makassar, Tanam Jarum Lautan Hati Jutaan Garis Menjahit Kisah, Pesan Dini Hari, Impresi Psudo Kata dan Garis and a short-story collection APES (an anti-corruption project). Some of his work appears in the critical anthology Indonesian Literature in World Literature by Narudin Pituin, reflecting how his writing contributes to national conversations about art and society.
A Life of Cultural Stewardship
Throughout his career, Ishakim has served as judge, panelist, and resource person at workshops, seminars, and book reviews. He helped build and sustain artist communities from Sanggar Seni Tompo Biring to Teater Kita Makassar and he remains active in ritual and customary events that preserve South Sulawesi’s intangible heritage.
For younger artists in Makassar and beyond, Ishakim’s path offers a model of practice that is neither purely commercial nor strictly academic. Instead, it privileges a connective arts practice: one that remembers the past in public monuments, experiments with form in environmental installations, and trains new generations to speak and perform.
Contact and Current Life
Now based in Gowa, Ishakim continues to live and create from his studio-home at Komp. Graha Kalegowa block D3 no. 14, Mangali, Pallangga (post code 92161). He remains reachable at 0813-4246-2085 for collaborations, lectures, and commissions.
