The Future Is Our Canvas: Art, Faith, and Indonesia’s Living Forests

In Indonesia, the struggle to protect forests is often told through policy debates, statistics, and news reports. But on April 22, 2025, the story came alive on canvas, in sculpture, and through songs. At the HM Rasjidi Auditorium of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, a unique evening unfolded Ecotheology in Action: Gala Dinner & Art Auction.

More than a fundraiser, it was a gathering where faith and art converged, not as performance, but as a call to restore what binds humanity and nature.

Canvas Masa Depan: Creativity for Change

At the heart of the evening was Canvas Masa Depan (The Future Is Our Canvas), a participatory art initiative by Purpose in collaboration with Mostly Harmless. The project invited Indonesians, citizens and artists alike to harness creativity as a force for social and environmental change.

Indonesia faces rapid urbanisation and accelerating biodiversity loss. In 2024 alone, the country lost 259,000 hectares of natural forest, according to Global Forest Watch. In response, Canvas Masa Depan turned the power of art into climate action. Painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, and digital artists were invited to respond through works on afforestation, conservation, and renewable energy.

The response was extraordinary: over 200 submissions arrived from across the nation. From these, 100 works were showcased online, and 20 were selected for the gala auction. The exhibition captured the beauty and fragility of Indonesia’s ecological heritage from rainforests to endangered wildlife, native flora, and ecosystems under threat.

Ecotheology in Action: Gala Dinner & Art Auction

The gala was co-hosted by Purpose, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Indonesian Waqf Board (BWI), and MOSAIC (Muslims for Shared Action on Climate Impact). It was a bold experiment linking Green Waqf, the Islamic tradition of charitable endowment, with ecological stewardship. Guests from waqf activists and artists to government officials and corporate partners arrived after maghrib prayers.

A Landmark Sale

The evening’s highlight was the sale of Aad Mandar’s evocative painting, Julang Sulawesi dan Karpet Merah untuk Nilam  (Sulawesi Hornbill and Red Carpet for Patchouli), a haunting reflection on how patchouli-driven deforestation is destroying hornbill nesting grounds in West Sulawesi.

The painting drew eager bids even before the gavel fell, ultimately selling for Rp 20,000,000, the night’s highest bid, to none other than Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar.

For Aad, a young artist, the canvas is more than a surface for paint, it is a stage for climate advocacy. His artistic philosophy is rooted in the wisdom of the coconut tree, where every part has a purpose. He channels that principle of total usefulness into his art and community practice, transforming creativity into collective meaning-making.

To the Left: Painting called Julang Sulawesi dan Karpet Merah untuk Nilam
To the Right: Aad Mandar

Across the night, nine works by nine artists from Lala Bohang’s mythological illustrations to Arimacs Wilander’s aerial photograph of the Mamberamo River and Ervan’s reflective installation on human-nature symbiosis raised over Rp 85,000,000. Proceeds from the auction went to forest waqf and community-led reforestation programs.

For attendees, the gala was more than an auction; it was a spiritual reminder that protecting the Earth is an act of worship. In his address, Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. H. Nasaruddin Umar captured this beautifully, reminding the audience that planting a tree is sadaqah jariyah, a continuous charity that benefits both the environment and future generations.

Why This Matters

The evening was full of milestones:

• Over 200 submissions across art, music, sculpture, and photography.
• 100 shortlisted works presented on the project’s digital platform.
• 20 artworks exhibited and auctioned at the gala.
• Proceeds dedicated to reforestation efforts.

But beyond the numbers, what mattered most was that people responded to it. Attendees called it moving, even transformative, a night where faith, creativity, and ecological responsibility converged into something bigger than an event: a shared experience of hope.

Planting a Cultural Movement

The gala lasted one night, but its impact extends far beyond. It proved that art and culture are not merely mirrors reflecting reality, they are tools to remake the world.

Through painting, music, and sculpture, complex issues like deforestation and climate change became tangible, deeply human, and impossible to ignore. Cultural movements speak to the heart first, then the head, shifting how people feel, think, and act.

The Future Is Our Canvas reminds us that the future will not be written by policy alone, it can be painted, sung, and sculpted into being.

If your organization is looking to create meaningful impact through creative campaigns like these, our team can help. Contact us to explore how Purpose can partner with you to drive lasting change and raise awareness around issues that matter.