Agus Nur Wahidin, known as Hewodn, is a traditional instrument-maker and sound artist from East Java. He spent a month at Rimbun Dahan in September 2025.
About the Artist
Hewodn was born in Banyuwangi, East Java, and currently lives in Tuban. He attended the Islamic University of Malang, where he was a member and administrator of the student theatre group. He also joined their music group, and later a Jamaican percussion group in Banyuwangi, eventually forming the ethnic reggae group The Power Rengel in Tuban.
This group, now called Unen-Unen Rengel, continues today, with a focus on playing ancient folk instruments from East Java, some of which are rare or almost extinct. Hewodn has learned how to construct these instruments, and often shares his knowledge through workshops and performances. He also experiments with making sound with stones and instruments made of rontal palm leaves.
Hewodn has created works of music and performance at Melaka Art+Performance Festival, Bantengan Nuswantoro in East Javan, Bandung Art Festival and many other festivals across Indonesia.
About the Residency
Before arriving at Rimbun Dahan, Hewodn attended the Melaka Art+Performance Festival in Melaka, as a sound artist. While he was at Rimbun Dahan, he made a site-specific music instrument installation, ‘The Trees’ Longing for Fertile Soil in the Industrial Age’ . The installation in his studio is welcome to be played by visitors on Open Day on 30 November 2025.
During his residency, Hewodn conducted a workshop in making and playing the traditional instrument karinding towél at Rimbun Dahan. He also performed in Serious Play Improv Lab #93 at Percussion Store in Kota Damansara, with musicians Kok Siew Wai, Yii Kah Hoe, Yong Yandsen and Rogan Kahale Tinsley (USA), and performers Rithaudin Abdul Kadir and Kien Faye.
