Yoppy Pieter is a Jakarta-based visual storyteller, educator, and independent curator whose work often explores issues related to the environment, gender, identity, and health primarily through long-term photographic projects. He began his photography journey through a workshop held by PannaFoto Institute. In 2019, he became the first Indonesian to be invited to the prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass, organized by the World Press Photo Foundation.
Since 2023, Yoppy has been recognized as a National Geographic Explorer. Through this platform, he has been documenting and exploring the role of grassroots women leaders who are spearheading forest conservation efforts in Daman Baru, a protected forest area in the province of Aceh. His work highlights the intersection between gender, environmental justice and patriarchy, amplifying the voices of women who are often underrepresented in conservation narratives.
In addition to his photographic work, Yoppy is deeply committed to visual education and collaborative practice. In 2018, alongside collaborators from diverse backgrounds, he co-founded Arkademy, a critical photography education platform that encourages the use of photography to examine the self, society, and their interrelations. He also founded Heterogenic, an Instagram-based platform that celebrates Indonesia’s diverse visual culture and serves as a space for sharing and exchanging ideas among photographers.
Yoppy frequently collaborates with grassroots communities across Indonesia. For him, such collaborations are built on mutual trust and understanding, grounded in ethical photographic practices that prioritize equality and reject discrimination. This approach fosters a more inclusive and respectful form of storytelling, one that centers local perspectives and lived experiences.
As a curator,educator, and storyteller, Yoppy continues to engage with photography as a powerful tool for social inquiry and creative expression, both in Indonesia and global visual culture circles.