Joko Avianto was born in Cimahi, West Java, in 1976. He graduated from the Faculty of Art and Design (FSRD) at The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1996 before pursuing further studies in the Master’s Program at the same institution. Currently, he teaches sculpture at the Indonesian Arts College (ISBI) in Bandung.

Joko gained widespread recognition for his bamboo installation works, which feature intricately intertwined bamboo. As an artist, he began working with bamboo as a non-conventional sculptural material in 2003, showcasing his pieces in an exhibition titled (/ ‘bæmbuw /,) at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space in Bandung. It was in this space that he developed a new technique, which he named “module bamboo broke,” allowing him to create various bamboo-shaped objects without splitting the bamboo entirely. Through his use of bamboo, Joko prompts us to reflect on the depletion of bamboo forest vegetation and its impact on surrounding social life, including the loss of bamboo culture, diminishing creativity among bamboo craftsmen, and the transformation of their profession into roles within the manufacturing industry. For Joko, bamboo serves as a symbol of his concern about the cultural diversity of Indonesia being eroded by the industrialization process that has become the backbone of modern life.

Joko’s recent works have been featured at “Embodied; Perception of Objects” solo exhibition at Redbase Foundation (2024), Esplanade Singapore 2018, Yokohama Triennale 2017 in Japan, Frankfurter Kuntsferein, Frankfurt Germany 2015, Artstage Singapore 2015, Georgetown Festival 2014 in Penang, Malaysia, ARTJOG 2012 and presented in various group exhibitions at galleries such as Murai Art Project, Gallery RJ Katamsi Yogyakarta, Art Bali 2019, Salihara Festival in Jakarta, and Ciputra World Marketing Gallery. Commissioned by the local government in Jakarta, Kohler Experience Center Jakarta, and Manunggal Residence. The first solo exhibition took place at Benda Gallery in Yogyakarta in 2001, and he also participated in the Social Activator Mobile Object (SAMO) exhibition in Bandung in the same year.