These Neon-Soaked Illustrations Imagine a Beautiful 70s Rock Future

Indonesian artist Ardneks' work is an acid-washed throwback to 1970s rock posters and Japanese pop art. It's something that infuses 70s nostalgia with a modern, almost washed out, flat color palate to create art that feels like a window on an alternative future full of bell-bottoms, long-hairs, and South Asian mysticism.

"My body of work is colorful, music-infused, and trivial—meaning that it's jam-packed with various cross-culture references," Ardneks says. "I'm trying to create some kind of a tropical universe where an Indian thuggee and a Taiwanese fried chicken cook could sit down and sip sangria together while listening to the Beach Boys, on a beach, and with no judgement."

Ardneks imagines his art living in a universe where "language isn't a barrier."

"Like, say if you speak in Swahili and I speak French, we would just somehow still be able to understand each other," he says.

Ardneks (real name Kendra Ahimsa) is part of the Indonesian arts and music collective Studiorama. He recently won the Grand Prix prize at the "UNKNOWN/ASIA 2016" Asian art exchange in Osaka, Japan. He says the three-day show was a chance to spend time talking about the influence Japanese artists have on his work.

"At first I was anxious, like 'Will they get it?'" he says. "But when I explained my whole body of work, the concept behind it, and how some of them had Japanese subculture references, they were amazed by my knowledge of older Japanese music and films. I think it's very interesting for them to see the outsider's perspective of Japan."

He says the regional art scene is an under-explored well of stunning and original artists.

"What is happening with Indonesia's art scene is also happening in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China," he says.

All images from Ardneks' website. Follow him on Instagram at @ardneks.