Hendra Eka is an Indonesian photojournalist based in Jakarta. In 2024, he received the Best Indonesian Journalist award from Indonesia’s National Press Council.
His work explores social issues, identity, and the human stories behind political, economic, and environmental change. He is also interested in climate change and sports, approaching each assignment with a focus on visual storytelling and the experiences of the people involved.
Over the years, his reporting has taken him across Asia, where he has documented conflicts in Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar; elections in Bangladesh; and flash floods in Nepal. His assignments have also explored the social realities of marijuana legalization in Thailand, the lives of sex workers in Pattaya, Vietnam and China’s EV industry, and South Korea’s presidential impeachment. In Timor-Leste, he photographed the world’s largest animal in its natural habitat.
Earlier in his career, Hendra covered international sporting events, including the Tour de France, UEFA European Championship, NBA, Formula 1, Asian Games, and SEA Games.
He is a regular contributor to the Dutch national newspaper de Volkskrant and an editor at the Indonesian media outlet.
In 2020, he was selected for the Erasmus Huis Fellowship in Amsterdam, a Dutch government-supported residency awarded annually to one Indonesian journalist to study photojournalism and visual storytelling with NOOR Images. Hendra holds a master’s degree, graduating magna cum laude, with research examining the role of journalism in shaping public policy.
His work has been featured and recognized by international photography organizations and festivals, including Pictures of the Year International (POYi), Belfast Photo Festival, Helsinki Photo Festival, Head On Photo Festival Australia, Photoville New York, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Anugerah Pewarta Foto Indonesia (APFI), and Jakarta International Photo Festival.
In March 2023, he published his first monograph, Lisette.
For assignments and collaborations, please contact mail@hendraeka.com. You can also follow his work on Instagram at @_hendraeka
The 2024 Best Indonesian Journalist Trophy from the Press Council.
Selected Collective Exhibition
2025 – Lisette – Solo photography exhibition at Unsur Site, Surabaya, Indonesia June-July 2025
2024 – Lisette – Tokyo International Foto Award (TIFA), Marunouchi Gallery & Art Space, Tokyo, Japan
2023 – Lisette – Helsinki Photo Festival, Helsinki, Finland
2023 – Lisette – Kuala Lumpur Photo Award (KLPA), Temu House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2023 – Lisette – Photoville, Brooklyn bridge New York, United States
2022 – Living in the Red Zone – Pan-Asian photography exhibition, the V54 (54 Village Road), Happy Valley, Hong Kong
2022 – Living in the Red Zone – Changing Asia, New Normal photo exhibition, Central World – Bangkok, Thailand
2022 – Wamena Post-Bellum – Gambar pun Rebound. Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia
2021 – Wamena Post-Bellum – Projection night at Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest), Jakarta, Indonesia
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 – Indonesian parliament photo exhibition. Indonesian parliament, Jakarta, Indonesia
2021 – Wamena Post-Bellum - Indonesian Photojournalist Award. National library, Jakarta, Indonesia
2019, 2021 – Indonesian Presidential Palace photo exhibition. NEO Soho, Jakarta, Indonesia
2018, 2020 – Rekam Jakarta. Taman Menteng & Thamrin 10, Jakarta, Indonesia
2019, 2020 – Solo Photo Festival. Solo, Central Java, Indonesia.
2018 – Silent Fight – Diversity. WTC, Jakarta and Dutch Embassy, Jakarta, Indonesia.
2014 – Indonesian Photojournalist Award. Grand Indonesia Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia.
2012 – Ekspression of Kiev. Exhibition by The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Kiev, Ukraine.
2012 – Summer Olympic. R.K Burts Gallery, London, UK.
Workshop
Challenges in Photojournalism, mentored by Alex Ellinghausen, The Sydney Morning Herald Australia.
Adapting visual story to online publishing, mentored by Espen Rasmussen of VII Photo. Jakarta.
Erasmus Huis Fellowship, mentored by Kadir Van Lohuizen of NOOR Images. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Permata Photojournalist Grant, mentored by Saša Kralj, Edy Purnomo of PannaFoto and Jenny Smets of World Press Photo. Jakarta.
Jury, Editor, & Curator
Jury: Pelindo Terminal Petikemas Photo Contest 2026
Mentor: Storytelling workshop for people with disabilities – British Council x KathaKita.org 2026
Jury: Allianz Journalist Competition 2025
Book, Editor at Large: Ministry of Finance, 2019-2024 State Budget Photo Book
Book, Editor at Large: Photo Book of Five Years of Service of the Chairwoman of the Indonesian House of Representatives
Book, Editor at Large: Indonesian Photojournalist Award 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Mentor: Story Telling & Pitching Photography Project Workshop at PannaFoto Institute, Bekasi, 2024.
Guest Lecturer: Basic Photojournalism, Pamulang University (UNPAM), South Tangerang, 2024.
Curator: Rekam Jakarta (Captured Jakarta) Photo Exhibition 2024. Selecting photos and organizing the exhibition.
Jury member: Road to Lomba Foto Astra (LFA), Aceh, 2024
Jury member: Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Journalism Award (Anugerah Jurnalistik Sahabat Bahari KKP)
Jury member: State Electricity Enterprise (PLN) Nusantara Power internal photo competition.
Jury member: The state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) photo contest.
Jury member: Photo contest at the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia (Kejaksaan Agung RI).
Jury member: Photo competition for certification services, MUTU International.
Jury member: Plastic waste and environment, journalist photo competition. NU Online Jakarta.
Curator: Indonesian Parliament Photo Exhibition 2023
Jury member: "Setara" photo contest, Girl UP Indonesia.
Jury member: Jakarta Formula-E, journalist photo competition.
Jury member: Photo story competition “Rumahku, Halamanku” by PannaFoto Institute & 1000 Kata.
Jury: Parahyangan University Bandung student photo contest "Rising".
Passport & Visa
Citizenship: Indonesia
Valid visa: All Southeast Asia, United States, Australia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Turkey, Qatar, Kiribati, Fiji,
Taiwan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and others (please ask).