Hendra Eka is an Indonesian journalist and photographer based in Jakarta. He received the 2024 Best Indonesian Journalist award from the National Press Council.
Hendra photographs in-depth stories on social issues and identity, he also covers politics, climate change, economics, and sports.
His reporting in Asia has taken him to the Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar wars, elections in Bangladesh, the Philippines-China feud in the West Philippine Sea, legalization of marijuana and illegal sex workers in Pattaya, biggest EV factory in China, presidential impeachment in South Korea, and even photographing migration of the world's largest animal in the waters of Timor Leste.
Previously, he has photographed numerous sports events such as Tour de France, EURO Cup in Poland and Ukraine, NBA, Formula 1, Asian Games and SEA Games.
Hendra currently works as a regular contributor to the Dutch national newspaper, de Volkskrant, and as an editor for the Indonesian media outlet, JawaPos.com.
He was a recipient of the 2020 Erasmus Huis Scholarship to Amsterdam, a residency program from the Kingdom of the Netherlands for one journalist from Indonesia. He completed his master's degree magna cum laude, researching how journalism can change public policy.
His work has been recognized by Picture of the Year International (PoYI), Belfast Photo Fest, Helsinki Photo Fest, Head On Photo Australia, Photoville New York, Tokyo International Foto Award, Indonesian Photojournalist Award (APFI), and Jakarta International Photo Fest.
In March 2023, Hendra launched his monograph "Lisette."
For more work please visit Instagram: @_hendraeka. He accepts collaborative assignments.
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: 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).