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If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the murals or stencil art adorning Jakarta’s underpasses, just ask Isrol Triono, a Jakarta-based street artist who have been painting for more than a decade.

The 29-year-old lives by the philosophy that all public spaces are owned by the public. As such, he has transformed significant parts of the city into “public galleries.”

“We feel that we have the right to express our thoughts there,” he said. “Creativity should be without borders.”

Of particular concern to Isrol are current issues concerning human rights, the environment, society and politics, which he discusses through his art.

“I expressed my concern about sectarian violence in Cikeusik and Temanggung through my art,” said Isrol, referring to attacks in February on members of the Ahmadiyah Muslim sect and Christian churches. “It is the way we street artists communicate to the world what we think and want to say about certain things.”

Most street artists have aliases they tag with their artwork, according to Isrol, who goes by the name Media Legal.

“It means that every artwork I create, be it murals, stencils or anything, is a legal way to voice my concerns about what is happening in society,” said Isrol, who has produced about 300 pieces of art so far.

Just as events are overtaken by breaking news, the artwork can be replaced by new ones by other artists at any time. “It is like a kind of unwritten agreement, because we all understand that we can replace each other’s work,” Isrol said.

While Isrol mostly works on his own, he occasionally collaborates with other street artists on special projects, among them the annual “End of Year” project . This year, he and some fellow street artists will create something that contemplates the events of the 12 months just passed.

“You know, toward the end of the year, people usually reflect on what they have accomplished or failed to do during the year. And we want to do it our way,” he said.

Most street artists do not think about getting arrested or fined for turning public spaces into their own personal canvasses because, according to Isrol, “everything is usually negotiable on the street.”

“When we are painting, public order officers [Satpol PP] often come to us and ask about permits. And when things like that happen, we do our best to convince them that no permit is required because public places should not be owned by anyone,” he said. “There are also officers who ask for money but we’ve never given them a thing. We stick to our guns.

“I realize that law enforcement is usually stricter in other countries. You can go to jail for doing what we do. But really, I am not worried about such things.”

There have been times, however, when Isrol has been invited to paint in non-public spaces, such as private homes or even warungs.

“For projects like these, I need the owner’s permission,” said Isrol, who usually spends between Rp 100,000 and Rp 700,000 ($11 and $77) on each piece.

Isrol said he had been fascinated by the arts since he was a child. Growing up, he enjoyed hanging around with artists, not realizing until he was older that art was something that could be studied in school.

“I went to campuses of art schools and made friends with some students there. And that was when I realized that techniques I had learned on my own were also taught there,” he said with a laugh.

To earn a living, Isrol freelances, sometimes designing album covers and promotional items for indie bands.

Collaborating with Ruang Rupa artistic communities and some friends, Isrol said he had just finished writing “Jakarta Street Artists,” a book that documents artists and their works. “But it has not gone to print yet,” he said, adding he is now planning to create a database of street artists from across the country.

Isrol said he felt grateful to have supportive parents.

“Some parents are against the idea of their children becoming artists, let alone street artists. But mine are different,” Isrol said. “They respect and are proud of what I do. They tell me, ‘Many people pursue higher education but end up unemployed. You didn’t get an education, but you still earn a living.’ That really means a lot to me.”

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