Joshua Irwandi • National Geographic Explorer

Not a Blank Canvas

This investigative documentary project focuses on the consequences of development within the Asmat region. This area is home to an Indigenous population of around 100,000 living amid complex river systems on the south coast of West Papua.

The fate of Asmat has long been determined by outsiders. Formerly known as Netherland New Guinea, this area was annexed by Indonesia in the 1960s, causing a chain of reactions that has led to governmental control of the area. This has resulted in new construction projects, severe deforestation, and an Asmat economy overpowered by transmigrants. Catholicism, brought by Dutch, American, and now Indonesian priests, along more recent exposure to Islam, has challenged the very existence of Asmat customs and rituals. Despite these influences, Asmat people continue to hold on to their traditions and celebrate ancestral feasts.

Today, Asmat people are essentially orphaned in their own land, barred access from healthcare, education, and other resources. By 2030, less than 17% of Indigenous Papuans will remain in West Papua. If the current model is allowed to continue, there is a threat of losing entire communities and rainforests. A change of perception on Asmat is long overdue. While the future of Asmat is difficult to predict, they are the real authors of their own destiny. Asmat is Not a Blank Canvas.

Joshua Irwandi, Credit: Suzuko Muto

Joshua Irwandi is a documentary photographer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He is a National Geographic Explorer and was part of VII Photo Agency mentorship program. Irwandi received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Exeter and pursued graduate studies in photojournalism and documentary photography at London College of Communication. While working in West Papua, Indonesia, he focused on a long-term project documenting changes to the Asmat’s identity and landscape. His project “Not a Blank Canvas” was awarded a National Geographic Society storytelling grant in 2021.

Irwandi has received grants from the Forhanna Foundation’s Fund for Young Talent and National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists. One of his images, “The Human Cost of COVID-19,” sparked controversy in Indonesia when it went viral after publication by National Geographic. In 2021, he was selected as one of the speakers for the National Geographic Society’s Storytellers Summit. Recent awards include the 2021 World Press Photo Award in General News, a Lucie Foundation Grand Prize, and selection as a finalist for The Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography. Irwandi’s work has been exhibited at Breda Photo Festival in the Netherlands, and featured in National Geographic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NHK, The Times of London, The Globe and Mail, CNN, TIME, and The Guardian.