CULTURE AND ARTS IN INDONESIA | Facts and Details

ARTS IN INDONESIA

Hudoq ritual is a ritual where the dancers wear hudoq masks to obtain blessings from the goddess in agricultural matters

The arts—especially painting, wood carving, dance, traditional music and puppetry—are very much alive in Indonesia. In contrast to some Muslim countries, there are few objections to using representations of humans and animals in Indonesian art or for women to engage in dancing. The most well known art forms are produced in Java and Bali. “Alus” (refined) is a term used to describe the traditional Javanese appreciation of art. But the other islands have equally rich cultural traditions.

The arts in Indonesia reflect the creativity and perceptions of a people surrounded by great natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage. Like religion, art is woven into the fabric of daily life. It accompanies celebrations and religious rites, and is a principal source of leisure-time enjoyment. While some Indonesian art forms are based on folklore, others were developed in the courts of former kingdoms, and in Bali they are part of religious tradition. [Source: Cities of the World, Gale Group Inc., 2002, adapted from a 2001 U.S. State Department report]

Princess Raden Ajeng Kartini (1879–1904) founded a school for girls and led the movement for women's emancipation. Her posthumously published letters, “From Darkness to Light” (Door duisternis tot licht), drew considerable interest in the Western world. While many creative and performing artists have attained local prominence, Indonesia's only internationally renowned artist is the painter Affandi (1910–1990). Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1925-2006) is Indonesia's best known novelist and arguably its most acerbic social critic. Nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature and regarded as a kind of Indonesian version of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, he spent much of life in jail, including 14 years under Suharto. [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Music, dance, and traditional theater animate communal life, offering energy, expression, and structure to ceremonial occasions. Indonesian performance arts arise from deep foundations in ancient cultures and from a widespread practice of intricate collective cooperation. These forms require discipline, sensitivity to nuance, balance, and a refined sense of formal beauty. At the same time, they encourage innovation, layered interpretation, and reveal a cultural aptitude for adaptation and hybrid creation. This chapter briefly surveys the richness of music, dance, and traditional theater across the Indonesian archipelago. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

Indonesian Culture

Indonesian dancers in a Dance Group perform folk dance

Indonesia is culturally rich. Indonesian art and culture are intertwined with religion and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants with Western thoughts brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The basic principles which guide life include the concepts of mutual assistance or “gotong royong” and consultations or “musyawarah” to arrive at a consensus or “mufakat” Derived from rural life, this system is still very much in use in community life throughout the country. [Source: Embassy of Indonesia, Athens |+|]

Simon Winchester wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “'When you arrive you cry; when you leave you cry." This is a popular expatriate aphorism about India, but almost all who visit Indonesia for any time feel much the same. Arrival in Jakarta, the capital, is the worst. The pollution, the din, the ceaseless traffic. The garbage, the floods. Everything in those first few days is an assault. But then: Spend dawn on the top of Borobudur temple in central Java. The morning mist hugs the valleys; the rising sun spears shafts of gold between two great volcanoes; the ranks of Buddhas beside you are suddenly washed with a warm orange light, the figures becoming an army of the figures becoming an army of transcendent calm. Urban Indonesian nightlife centers on night markets, where people shop in toko (stores) and warung (food stalls). Also popular are forms of the performing arts such as pop music concerts, puppet shows, and the cinema. [Source: Simon Winchester, Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2014]

Intertwined with religion and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants the ulture of Indonesia is rich in itself with Western thoughts brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The art and culture of Indonesia has been shaped around its hundreds of ethnic groups, each with cultural differences that have shifted over the centuries. Modern-day Indonesian culture is a fusion of cultural aspects from Arabic, Chinese, Malay and European sources. Indonesian art and culture has also been influenced from the ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East leading to many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam. [Source: Embassy of Indonesia, Athens |+|]

Though the legal system is based on the old Dutch penal code, social life as well as the rites of passage are founded on customary or “adat” law which differs from area to area. “Adat” law has a binding impact on Indonesian life and it may be concluded that this law has been instrumental in maintaining equal rights for women in the community. Religious influences on the community are variously evident from island to island. |+|

Indonesian culture blends Islam and modernity in some interesting, often contradictory and puzzling, ways. Patrick Winn wrote: Despite a fatwa against Facebook flirting, Indonesians indulge in the social network more than any other country outside of the United States. Mall rats match their hijabs to their sneakers. In much of the country, booze is sold openly. And while propriety keeps Jakarta’s nightlife from spilling into the street Bangkok-style, the capital’s partying is equally decadent behind closed doors. Most tolerate modern frills and vice as the price of a free society. The Front sees a creeping cancer. [Source: Patrick Winn, .minnpost.com, December 14, 2010]

Diversity of Indonesia’s Culture

Young girls wearing festival costume made by natural leaves in Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy Helsinki wrote: The Republic of Indonesia comprises 17 500 islands. With its estimated population of around 250 million people it is the world’s fourth most populous country, and has the largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia is a republic (since 1950 the Republic of Indonesia), with an elected legislature and a president. The nation’s capital, Jakarta, is in Java, Indonesia’s central island. The transcontinental country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. There are hundreds of theatrical traditions in Indonesia. Many of them belong to the smaller ethnic groups of remote islands while some of them form what could be classified as “classical traditions”. These latter consist of the traditions of Indonesia’s central island, Java, and the neighbouring, smaller island of Bali. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance website, Theatre Academy Helsinki **]

Indonesian culture and art reflects regional histories, relegions and influences of the archipelago’s mind-boggling array of ethnic groups. Indonesia arts can be classified in to the three main streams within Indonesia. 1) The first, is that of the outer Indonesia, the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Papua and Maluku, which have strong animist traditions. Carvings, weaving, pottery etc, have developed from a tribal art in which art objects are part of worship. 2) The second stream is that inner Indonesia, the islands of Java and Bali that have come under the greatest influence from Hindu-Budha tradition. The Technique and styles that built Borobudur and the Indian Epics such as The Mahabarata, that form the basis for wayang theatre are still a major influence in arts. 3) The third influences is that of Islam, which not so much introduced its own art & crafts traditions, but modified existing traditions. [Source: Bali Tourism Board]

Java, Indonesia’s Cultural Heart

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy Helsinki wrote: “The long history of Java, the central island of Indonesia, is marked by international maritime contacts. The island is a natural crossroads of the sea routes between East and South Asia, and it has been the melting pot of cultural influences for thousands of years. This is clearly evident in the island’s rich traditions of theatre and dance. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance website, Theatre Academy Helsinki **]

“The present classical forms of drama and dance were created by the Islamic courts of Central Java over the centuries. They combined old indigenous traditions with mythical story material and classical dance technique from India. Yogyakarta and Surakarta in Central Java and the capital, Jakarta, in the western part of the island are the main centres of Javanese dance and theatre today. **

“Java is also home to various classical forms of gamelan music and dance styles, of which the most important ones are the West Javanese style (Sunda), the East Javanese style, and the Central Javanese style, whose best-known traditions were refined in the kratons of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The Central Javanese dance style can be described as the most classical dance style of Java. During the period of Indonesian independence the dance style of Java and its theatre traditions have spread to other islands, forming a kind of pan-Indonesian style. **

“For over a thousand years, wayang kulit shadow theatre has been the core of Javanese theatre, influencing the development of other genres. Over the centuries, the various sultanates with their kraton have developed their own art forms by adapting and combining ancient Hindu-Buddhist traditions in the spirit of Islam. **

Important Ideas and Concepts in Indonesiam Art and Culture

A group of four srimpi (court-dancers) performing a scene from the Putri Cina story in the Kraton for the sultan of Yogyarkata in 1884; Each character is played by two dancers; The character at left is the Chinese princess Dewi Adaninggar who tries to kill her rival in love, princess Kelaswara

A longstanding aesthetic concept in Indonesian culture is halus, often translated as “refinement.” This idea extends beyond artistic technique to encompass moral and social values, reflecting centuries of cultural production associated with harmony and propriety. In many Indonesian and regional languages, terms for beauty are closely linked to ideas of goodness. Words such as bagus can mean both “beautiful” and “good,” while jelek denotes both “ugly” and “bad.” Similarly, kasar, meaning “coarse” or “crude,” can also describe undesirable moral character. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

Historically, Indonesian visual art and literature have addressed both positive and negative aspects of life, often reflecting broader cosmological ideas about balance and order. Artistic expression has incorporated themes of harmony alongside ambiguity and complexity, allowing for multiple interpretations. In modern contexts, artists and writers do not limit themselves to idealized subjects; many works instead explore social inequality, hardship, and personal or collective suffering.

In recent decades, artistic and literary production has also served as a medium for political commentary. During the period of the New Order regime, criticism of the government by artists and authors could result in censorship or imprisonment. This underscores the broader role of creative expression in engaging with social and political realities.

Art and literature in Indonesia are closely connected to other aspects of cultural life, including social hierarchy, spiritual beliefs, etiquette, and gender roles. Rather than existing as separate domains, these forms of expression are integrated into the wider fabric of society. A holistic perspective reveals how creative practices intersect with and reflect the diverse cultures and traditions found across the Indonesian archipelago.

Traditional Culture of Indonesia

“Halus” (refined) Javanese culture still exits. Rooted in Hinduism, it revolves around respect for the sultan and appreciation of the high culture and arts that are associated with it. Sultans—particularly those in Yogyakarta and Solo— have traditionally presided over Muslim rituals and served as unifying symbols. They have been regarded as the focal points for art forms such as painting, batik. music and masked dance. Sultans are known officially as "Susunan"—the "Volcano" or 'Life-Giving Mountain," Every year the Sultan of Yogyakarta throws an offering of his hair and fingernail clippings into Merapi volcano.

In 2009, UNESCO recognized Indonesia’s “Batik” as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage, adding to the earlier recognized Indonesia’s “Keris” (the wavy blade dagger), and the “Wayang” shadow puppets. Further being considered as World Heritage is the “Angklung” bamboo musical instrument from West Java, being uniquely “Indonesian”. [Source: Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia]

The Indonesian archipelago harbours many ancient cultures that are rooted here, while throughout its history through centuries until today the islands have been influenced by Indian, Chinese, Arabic and European cultures, and lately also by the global popular culture, international travel and internet. Foreign cultures and traditions, however, are absorbed and assimilated by the people producing unique “Indonesian” creations found nowhere else in the world.

Indonesia’s culture is indeed rich in the arts and crafts. In textiles, Sumatra produces some of the best gold and silver-thread woven sarongs, known as songket; South Sulawesi women produce colourful hand-woven silks, while Bali, Flores and Timor produce some of the best textiles from natural fibers using complicated motifs. In wood craft, Bali’s artisans produce beautiful sculptures, as do the Asmat in Papua, both traditional and modern, Central Java’s craftsmen produce finely carved furniture, while Bugis shipbuilders of South Sulawesi continue to build the majestic “phinisi” schooners that ply the Indonesian seas until today.

Indonesia is also strong in the performing arts. The beautiful Ramayana dance drama is enacted during the dry season at the large open stage at Prambanan near Yogyakarta under a tropical full moon and against the dramatic illuminated background of this 9th.century temple. Indonesia’s dances are colourful, dramatic or entertaining. They vary from the highly synchronized “saman” song and dance from Aceh, to the sedate and sophisticated court dances from Java accompanied by the liquid sounds of the gamelan orchestra, to the war dances of Kalimantan, Papua, and Sulawesi. Chinese influence can be seen along the entire north coast of Java from the batik patterns of Cirebon and Pekalongan, to the finely carved furniture and doors of Kudus in Central Java, as also in the intricate gold embroidered wedding costumes of West Sumatra.

Support for the Arts

In the past, royal courts and wealthy individuals in Java and Bali were major patrons of the arts. They still support the arts, but other institutions have joined them. For example, the Dutch founded the Batavia Society for the Arts and Sciences in 1778, which established the National Museum, which continues to display artefacts representing the country's culture. Despite poor funding and the hazards of tropical weather and insects, the Dutch-founded National Archive seeks to preserve the literary heritage. [Source: Clark E. Cunningham, Countries and Their Cultures, Gale Group Inc., 2001]

Over the past several decades, regional cultural museums have been built using national and provincial government funding, as well as some foreign aid. However, the preservation of artistic and craft traditions and objects, such as house architecture, batik and tie-dye weaving, wood carving, silversmithing, statuary, puppetry and basketry, is under threat from the international arts and crafts market, local demands for cash and changing indigenous values.

In 1947, a college for art teachers was founded and incorporated into the Technological Institute of Bandung in 1951. An Academy of Fine Arts was established in Yogyakarta in 1950, and the Jakarta Institute of Art Education began in 1968. Since then, academies have been founded elsewhere, and the arts have become part of various universities and teacher training institutes. Private schools for music and dance have also been established. Private galleries for painters and batik designers are numerous in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Academies and institutes maintain traditional arts as well as developing newer forms of theatre, music and dance.

Museums and Libraries in Indonesia

Two outstanding museums in Indonesia are the National Museum in Jakarta, which covers Indonesian history and culture, and the Zoological Museum in Bogor on the island of Java. There is also a Bali Museum in Denpasar, as well as several regional historical museums throughout the provinces. Jakarta is also home to a crime museum, a large military museum, a museum chronicling the country's fight for independence, and several decorative arts museums. The Agung Rai Museum of Art in Bali boasts a notable private collection of works by Balinese, Javanese and foreign artists.” [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

The Perpustakaan Nasional RI (National Library of Indonesia), Indonesia's largest library, was formed in 1980 through the merger of four libraries. Located in Jakarta, it boasts a collection of over 1.15 million volumes. This library incorporates the extensive National Museum collection, which was founded in 1778.

Another well-established library is the Bibliotheca Bogoriensis, also known as the Central Library for Biological Sciences and Agriculture. Founded in 1814 as a library associated with the botanical gardens in Bogor on the island of Java, it holds over 400,000 volumes. Another national library is the National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre, which was founded in Jakarta in 1965 and has a collection of over 150,000 volumes. The Library of the Indonesian Parliament, also in Jakarta, has a collection of 150,000 volumes. Public libraries are not well coordinated, but there are state libraries and local reading rooms in almost every province. University libraries tend to be autonomous faculty or departmental libraries lacking central coordination. The University of Indonesia in Jakarta has a collection of just over 200,000 volumes.

Museum Curator in Solo Sent to Prison for Selling 9th-Century Statues

In 2008, an Indonesian court has sentenced a museum curator and his accomplices to up to 18 months in jail for stealing and selling six ninth-century Hindu statues, Agence France-Presse reported. In November a routine inspection of the Radya Pustaka Museum in Solo on Java Island found that the stone statues had been stolen and replaced with fakes two years earlier. Compiled by Ben Sisario, New York Times, July 2, 2008]

The museum curator, K. R. H. Dharmodipuro, was convicted of violating the Cultural Heritage Act and of embezzling state funds raised from the illegal sale of the pieces, the Antara news agency reported. Mr. Dharmodipuro said he would appeal the sentence, handed down Monday. Two other former museum workers received 14-month sentences for assisting the curator, and another man was given 18 months for buying stolen property and fraud. The statues were found in the Jakarta home of the businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who has not been charged with any crime.

Culture Wars Between Indonesia and Malaysia

In the late 2000s. the Media has described a series of disputes between Indonesia and Malaysia over traditional cultural heritage “as Culture wars” that became nasty on the Internet with some Indonesians characterizing Malaysia as “a nation of thieves” and describing the mess as worthy of a real war. Simon Winchester wrote in the Wall Street Journal, In mid 2009, a Malaysian Ministry of Tourism advertisement aired internationally on the Discovery Channel portrayed a Balinese dance as part of Malaysia’s cultural heritage; the government subsequently withdrew the advertisement and apologized for what it said had been a production error. [Source: Simon Winchester, Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2014]

But the uproar nevertheless gathered steam, and by September, despite some Indonesian commentators’ dismissal of the issue as trivial and an indication of Indonesian feelings of inferiority, it had become a cause célèbre threatening diplomatic relations. Some of the sharp feelings on the Indonesian side were apparently assuaged in October when the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared batik to be part of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage, adding to a similar declaration in 2008 for shadow puppet theater (“wayang kulit”) and the “keris”, an asymmetrical dagger, which many Malaysians had felt were at least equally theirs.

John M. Glionna wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “ For decades, Uni Histayanti has performed the enigmatic movements of her country's traditional pendet dance. She learned the rhythms as an infant and years ago opened a dinner theater in Jakarta where, dressed in native costume, she performs nightly. As she flutters her arms bird-like, darts her eyes and tilts her head at exotic angles, she invokes the welcoming spirit of the Hindu-majority Bali island where it originated centuries ago. That's why it floored her to hear that neighboring Malaysia had reportedly tried to seize the pendet as its own. It's pure cultural piracy, Histayanti insists. And it makes her mad. "It's a symbol of our heritage, not theirs," she said as she applied makeup in a backstage dressing room of her theater. "If you have something and someone tries to steal it, you take it back." [Source: John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2009 ]

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated April 2026