MODERN ART IN INDONESIA

landscape painting of rice fields and buffalo, I Tomblos, 1948

Ginanne Brownell wrote in the New York Times: Art has always played a strong role in the country — from historical Balinese carving techniques to the work of expatriate European artists in the 1930s who helped fuel Indonesia’s modernist movement. After independence in 1945, the country’s first president, Sukarno, who admired art, established art schools in Bandung and Yogyakarta, also known as Jogja or Yogya. Under the Suharto regime, from the 1960s to the 1990s, art and political involvement were suppressed. Today, artists enjoy a new freedom to explore politics, sexuality and identity in their art. “Now art is focused on social issues,” said Satriagama Rakantaseta, the director of the Yogya-based Heri Pemad Art Management, which every July hosts Art Fair Jogja. “Artistic expression is much different than it was 15 years ago.” [Source: Ginanne Brownell, New York Times, January 30, 2013]

The rise of modern Indonesian art closely paralleled the growth of nationalism. Artists in both Java and Bali began portraying ordinary people and daily life, giving visual form to broader social and political concerns. In Bali, for example, Gusti Nyoman Lempad depicted scenes of everyday activity, while in Java artists highlighted labor, poverty, and inequality. Under later political regimes, especially during the rule of Suharto, such themes could be viewed as subversive. Some artists, including Hendra Gunawan, were imprisoned for works seen as politically sensitive. Yet repression often deepened artistic commitment, contributing to a body of work marked by strong social awareness and historical engagement. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

By the mid-twentieth century, artistic communities had formed in cities such as Yogyakarta, which became a major cultural center with institutions like the Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI). Groups of artists lived and worked together, fostering experimentation and collaboration. By the 1980s, similar creative hubs existed in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali, while galleries such as Cemeti in Yogyakarta provided platforms for emerging talent. Artists began experimenting with traditional media like batik in new ways, merging older techniques with contemporary expression.

Development of Modern Art in Indonesia

painting by Sudjojono

An art scholar from Java has argued that modern Indonesian visual art “was born in a rush” under strong Western influence and developed without a long, gradual evolution. While this assessment captures the impact of colonial-era exposure to European styles, it understates the role of indigenous creativity. Indonesian artists did not simply imitate foreign models; they adapted new techniques while continuing to explore local subjects, aesthetics, and sensibilities, establishing distinct artistic identities in the process. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

The emergence of modern art in Java and Sumatra can be traced to early twentieth-century study clubs, where educated Indonesians encountered Western art and literature. As one account notes, the idea of becoming a “painter” suddenly appeared as a new profession with an “international aura,” leaving it to Indonesian artists to interpret this role in their own ways. By the 1920s and 1930s, painters were actively shaping a modern cultural landscape, blending global influences with local traditions “into a series of individual syntheses which could not have happened anywhere else.” In this sense, Indonesian artists contributed to a broader, increasingly global history of contemporary art.

In Bali, the early twentieth century brought a particularly dynamic transformation. During the 1930s, resident Western artists introduced materials such as paper, canvas, and paint, along with techniques like linear perspective. As a result, some Balinese artists shifted from sacred themes toward depictions of everyday life, producing framed and individualized works and beginning to sign their names. Although tourism was still limited, a market emerged for scenes of “village life,” reinforced by foreign patrons such as anthropologists who commissioned works. At the same time, traditional subjects remained important, and artists expanded their range to include both real and imagined worlds.

Artists in Java also moved beyond traditional forms, influenced by colonial education, European art, and growing urban culture. Early modern works often focused on landscapes, still lifes, and portraits, marking a break from older artisanal traditions. By the 1920s, however, figures such as S. Sudjojono led a shift toward social realism, joined by artists like Affandi. After World War II, painters increasingly addressed the realities of colonialism, Japanese occupation, and the struggle for independence. Rather than producing idealized tropical scenes, they depicted hardship, conflict, and national identity, often drawing on their own experiences, including participation in the independence struggle.

In the late twentieth century, some urban artists turned to Indonesia’s outer islands for inspiration, incorporating motifs from regions such as Timor, Sumba, and Papua. While often labeled “primitive” (primitif) in Indonesian discourse—usually with negative connotations—these cultures became important sources of artistic influence. At the same time, international demand and tourism encouraged new forms of production. Bali, in particular, became a central hub for the display and exchange of Indonesian art, attracting global visitors and shaping artistic trends. As in earlier periods, Indonesian artists continued to adapt, combining local traditions with global influences to create works that reflected both their cultural heritage and their engagement with a wider world.

Creation of Bali as an Artist Colony

Mask Dancer, A.A. Gde Anom Sukawati (born 1966), Acrylic on canvas

In 1906 the Dutch conquered Bali by force. Most members of the island’s eight royal families chose ritual suicide (puputan), leaving only a few children as survivors and stripping the courts of their political power and wealth. As royal patronage collapsed, court artists found support within village communities. Bali’s villages, long governed through local councils (banjar), absorbed the courts’ musical instruments, masks, costumes, and performance traditions. Theatre, dance, and music that once belonged to royal courts became part of shared village culture. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance website, Theatre Academy Helsinki **]

During the 1920s and 1930s, Western writers and travelers created the enduring image of Bali as a tropical paradise. Improved shipping links helped spread this image, and the island soon attracted artists, intellectuals, and tourists seeking the “exotic.” Western contact encouraged new forms of artistic expression, and modern Balinese art began to develop alongside traditional forms. Hotels staged performances for visitors, laying the groundwork for today’s tourist shows, while Balinese gamelan and dance gained international attention through tours in Europe.

Western individuals also played influential roles in shaping modern Balinese arts. I Nyoman Mario, a key creator of the dynamic kebyar style, was admired by both Balinese and foreigners. Dutch officials sometimes supported theatrical revivals in North Bali, while the German artist Walter Spies, based in Ubud, was especially influential in transforming Balinese painting, music, and performance. Other notable figures included Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias and his wife Rose, who documented Balinese dance and theatre, and American composer Colin McPhee, whose writings helped introduce gamelan music to Western audiences.

p class="linkbox"> See Separate Article: TOURISM IN BALI: CELEBRITIES, RESILIENCE AND ITS RISE FROM A 1930s SOCIALITE ARTIST COLONY factsanddetails.com

I Nyoman Tjokot

I Nyoman Tjokot (c. 1886–1971) was a pioneering Balinese woodcarver from Jati village near Ubud and is regarded as one of the great innovators of Balinese art. Entirely self-taught and not born into an artistic family, he carved intuitively, allowing the natural form of each piece of wood to guide spontaneous, expressive creations whose final shapes were often unpredictable even to himself. [Source: Bali Tourism Board]

In the 1930s his work was championed by foreign artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, though it remained controversial and commercially marginal at the time. Tjokot lived modestly, served his community as a priest and healer, and worked obsessively, continuing to carve until shortly before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 83.

Tjokot developed a distinctive style—later known as Tjokotism—characterized by coarse, primitive realism and strong personal expression. Influenced initially by the refined Ubud style, temple carvings, and lontar manuscripts, he ultimately forged an unprecedented approach that later enabled his descendants to improve their livelihoods. Although he left little material wealth, his artistic legacy endures in Bali and across Indonesia through both his reputation and the continuation of his style by later generations.

Affandi

Affandi

Affandi (1907–1990) is widely regarded as one of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists. He was born in Cirebon, West Java, the son of a surveyor at a local sugar factory. Although his father hoped he would become a doctor, Affandi showed an early passion for drawing. He completed his upper secondary education in Jakarta but chose to abandon further studies in order to pursue art. Beginning in 1934, he taught himself to paint and later married Maryati, a fellow artist. One of his children, Kartika, also followed in his footsteps and became a painter. [Source: Wikipedia]

Like many Indonesian artists of his generation, Affandi initially developed outside the mainstream of modern art. Only in the late 1930s did major exhibitions of Western artists—such as Paul Gauguin, Wassily Kandinsky, and Pablo Picasso—reach Batavia (now Jakarta). He was also deeply influenced by traditional Javanese wayang (shadow puppet theater). After moving with his family to Bandung and then Batavia, he refined his skills in drawing and oil painting. Before fully committing to art around 1940, he worked various jobs, including house painter, cinema ticket collector, and billboard artist, often using leftover paints to create landscapes. He soon began exhibiting his work and, to his surprise, selling it. With his wife’s support, he divided his time between earning a living and painting.

Affandi’s artistic education came largely from reproductions he encountered in Studio, a London-based art magazine. He felt an affinity with artists such as Francisco Goya and Edvard Munch, as well as earlier masters like Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hieronymus Bosch, and Sandro Botticelli. While these influences shaped his style, the harsh realities of life around him had an even deeper impact. In Yogyakarta shortly after the Pacific War, he once painted a marketplace scene of impoverished people. A young onlooker, angered by what he saw as the artist’s detachment, threw dust at him and shouted that painting suffering people was incomprehensible.

From 1945 on , Affandi lived in Yogyakarta, where he designed a distinctive, free-form home that later became a museum displaying his work. The site, located in Sleman Regency, houses around 250 of his paintings and has become a popular destination for visitors. Inspired by sheltering under a large-leafed tree during a rainstorm, he modeled the building’s roof after a leaf and elevated the structure on supports resembling tree trunks. These were further enhanced by carvings from the Balinese sculptor Nyoman Tjokot.

Affandi married twice. His daughter Kartika, from his first marriage, became a notable painter. His second marriage produced three children. One of his memorable works depicts himself nude, holding a newborn grandchild beneath a star-filled sky.

In his later years, Affandi spent much of his time at his museum, quietly observing his paintings. He once remarked that he wished to die simply and without causing trouble, so he could “go home…in peace.” He passed away on May 23, 1990, at the age of 83, and was buried within the museum complex, fulfilling his wish to remain surrounded by his family and his art.

Affandi’s Art

Affandi art in the Affandi museum

In the 1950s, Affandi developed a distinctive expressionist style. His painting Carrying the First Grandchild (1953) marked a turning point, introducing his technique known as “squeezing the tube.” Instead of using a brush, he applied paint directly from the tube onto the canvas. This method emerged by accident when, frustrated at not finding a pencil, he improvised. The effect gave his subjects a vivid, almost pulsating quality, and allowed him greater emotional freedom by working directly with his hands. In some respects, he acknowledged an affinity with Vincent van Gogh. [Source: Wikipedia]

Affandi himself said: One day an art collector looked in my studio and said he couldn't select any of my paintings because the paintings he saw hurt his feelings. He asked me why I didn't make paintings of beautiful objects: landscapes, girls, and so forth. I too like beautiful things, but they do not necessary provide inspiration for my work. My subjects are expressive rather than beautiful. I paint suffering – an old woman, a beggar, a black mountain ... My great wish is that people learn a little from my work. I do know the danger of doing paintings with this in mind. I have no intention of becoming a social propagandist, and I must be careful. One day, in India, visiting a village with my Daughter Kartika, I saw a dead body covered by a mattress. Kartika said, "That's a good subject for you." I felt very touched by what we had seen, but I told her I would not paint it. My next painting was of a flower, in reality very fresh, but which on my canvas lacked all life.

Some of Affandi’s most productive and creative years were spent in India between 1949 and 1951, where he traveled extensively and painted. From there, he continued on to Europe, exhibiting his work in major cultural centers such as Paris, London, Brussels, and Rome. He also visited the United States three times, teaching at Ohio State University and creating a mural at the East-West Center. His international career included participation in the São Paulo Biennale, as well as extensive travels across Asia, and he even planned a global painting project for a Japanese collector.

As his reputation grew, Affandi became a regular participant in major international exhibitions. He showed his work in India and at prominent biennales in Brazil (1952), Venice Biennale (1954), where he received an award, and again in São Paulo (1956). In 1957, he was awarded a scholarship from the United States government to study art education and was later named an Honorary Professor of Painting at Ohio State University in Columbus. His achievements were further recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Singapore in 1974, the Peace Award from the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation in 1977, and the title of Grand Maestro in Florence, Italy.

Rise of the Indonesia Art Scene in the 2000s

In 2008, the artist Manullang, said: “It's a very strange time. It used to be we couldn't sell any of our paintings. Now the collectors need that painting very badly. Before it is ready, they already come to my house to ask the price.” According to the International Herald Tribune: Whatever the price, it is cheaper than Chinese art, and that is what it is all about. Chinese art is hot now and is commanding huge prices. In a trickle-down effect, collectors are looking to Indonesia as the next Asian tiger. [Source: Seth Mydans, International Herald Tribune, April 2, 2008]

Experts date the run on Indonesian art to the 'May 2007 incidents', two auctions at which prices for contemporary Indonesian artists surprisingly went up. The first of the auctions was actually in April last year, at Sotheby's in Singapore, where a painting by a young artist named Putu Sutawijaya sold for close to US$60,000 (S$82,841), 10 times the estimated price. In May, Indonesian paintings drew even higher prices at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong, and the race was on. Throughout the year, prices kept rising and some works sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, though that is still far less than the millions paid for some Chinese art.

Leading Indonesian collector Oei Hong Djien said: 'Now there is a big battle of the collectors. They are coming to the artists and begging for works. It is easy for the gallery to sell but difficult to get good painters because every gallery is fighting for them.'

One auction house sent a truck to Yogyakarta, a centre of Indonesian art, to collect paintings from young unknown artists, said Eddy Soetriyono, chief editor of C-Arts, a magazine of Asian contemporary art and culture. 'They actually gave directions to young artists to paint what was selling in the market.' That is one danger of Indonesia's hot streak, art experts said. Instead of developing their own vision, young artists will look around, see what is selling, and 'paint for the market'.

Hot Indonesian Art Scene in the 2010s

Ginanne Brownell wrote in the New York Times in 2013: Indonesian contemporary art has become one of Southeast Asia’s hottest art scenes. In January 2013 at the contemporary art fair Art Stage Singapore, Indonesian artists were highlighted at a special pavilion featuring 36 of the country’s most intriguing artists. The Hong Kong outpost of the London gallery Rossi & Rossi inaugurated the new Yallay Space there by showcasing, along with other Asian artists, several Indonesians, including Heri Dono and Christine Ay Tjoe. [Source: Ginanne Brownell, New York Times, January 30, 2013]

Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo and Reza Afisina, meanwhile, were featured in “No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia,” which is showing at the Guggenheim Museum in New York starting February 2013. Also, the Indonesian pavilion at the Venice Biennale this summer will highlight five Indonesian artists examining issues like identity.

“Indonesia feels right now like how I understand the New York art scene was in the 1970s and 1980s, where everyone knew each other and there was a lot of support,” said Entang Wiharso, an artist who splits his time between Indonesia and Rhode Island and who will be one of the artists exhibited in Venice. “Collectors here are very serious, very active and very sophisticated in their tastes.”

Indonesia has a large melange of cultures that has proven to be a hothouse for artists. It has more than 1,700 islands, some 300 languages and a religious mixture of Islam (the country has the largest population of Muslims in the world), Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. “Look at our geography and history,” said Mr. Dono, one of the country’s most influential contemporary artists. “It has been a meeting point of cultures and kingdoms with influences from Indian Sanskrit to Arabic, Chinese, Latin and Dutch.”

Street Art in Jakarta

Splashed across the concrete walls of Jakarta, Indonesian street art reveals stories that are often absent from official narratives. While the government and optimists present an image of progress and stability, the city’s walls speak of struggles over freedom of expression, resistance to corruption, and calls for religious tolerance. In this urban landscape, art is not merely decorative—it is a form of public dialogue. [Source: Henry Belot, Jakarta Post, March 3, 2013]

Recognizing the importance of preserving this visual history, the Indonesian Street Art Database (ISAD) was established to digitally archive street art across the country. Led by Andi Rharharha—a prominent artist known for his anti-corruption message “SAVE KPK”—the project began in 2011 with the support of a network of like-minded artists. According to Rharharha, Indonesian street art dates back to 1945, when it served as a tool of propaganda during the struggle for independence. ISAD has since documented more than 2,000 works from across the archipelago, from Aceh to Bali.

Today, street art remains deeply embedded in youth culture and the urban fabric. It functions as an alternative channel of political communication, often operating beyond the reach of mainstream media or state control. Traveling through Jakarta, one can encounter murals and graffiti addressing corruption, poverty, inequality, and rising religious intolerance. As street artist Adi Dharma notes, the public is highly aware of such works, particularly those that challenge authority or carry strong social messages.

One of the clearest demonstrations of street art’s influence came with the “Berbeda dan Merdeka 100 percent” (Different and Free 100 percent) movement in 2011. Sparked by protests against religious violence in West Java, the campaign spread rapidly to more than 20 cities in a single day. Its message of interfaith tolerance and human rights traveled through graffiti, stickers, and stencils, illustrating how street art can unify voices across geographic and cultural boundaries. Yet Indonesian street art is not limited to protest. As Riksa Afiaty of ISAD explains, the movement has evolved to include elements of popular culture and urban identity. While its roots lie in political struggle, contemporary street art also reflects the vibrancy and complexity of city life. Public spaces become canvases that define a city’s character and communicate the lived experiences of its people.

This role, however, is increasingly under threat. As Jakarta expands into a commercial metropolis, corporate advertising has come to dominate the visual environment. Billboards and branded imagery now compete with—and often overshadow—street art. For many artists, this represents not just aesthetic change but a deeper encroachment of commercial interests into public space. Rharharha has described such billboards as a form of “visual pollution,” arguing that public spaces should not be controlled by capital. Ironically, advertisers have also begun to adopt the visual language of street art to appeal to younger audiences. According to Riksa, these appropriations mimic the style but lack the authenticity and social commitment that define true street art. What emerges is a tension between grassroots expression and commercial imitation, raising questions about ownership, meaning, and cultural integrity.

Corruption — a Popular Theme in Indonesian Street Art

Corruption is a popular theme in Indonesian street art: Munarsih Sahana wrote in the Jakarta Post, “Artists have taken it upon themselves to depict Indonesia’s plethora of corruption cases, particularly the recent rivalry between two law enforcement institutions, the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), in an exhibition titled Bank Bank Kroet at the Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta. Works of art created by 33 artists who joined forces in November 2009 to decry corruption by painting pictures of geckos swallowing crocodile in Sleman, Yogyakarta — following the famous phrase “Cicak Melawan Buaya” (gecko versus crocodile) coined by former National Police Detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji — are on display at this gallery until tomorrow. [Source: Munarsih Sahana, Jakarta Post, January 14, 2010]

“Bank Bank Kroet”, or banks going bankrupt, is a twist on a children’s rhyme suggesting that nobody ever acknowledges passing gas, says curator of the exhibition Sindhunata in the exhibition’s catalogue. In other words, any person who commits an act of corruption will always deny he or she has committed the crime.

Many of the paintings portray the two animals whose status has shot to fame recently, the gecko and crocodile, while the rest criticize poor law enforcement practices when dealing with corruption cases. Three senior artists, Djoko Pekik, Putu Sutawijaya and S. Teddy D., collaborated to create a painting of several small geckos fighting against crocodiles, against a background of a brown-hued wall and a hanging clock. In their work titled Cecak Nguntal Boyo (Gecko Swallowing a Crocodile), the weaker group — represented by small geckos — prevails, demonstrating how some small geckos succeeded in defeating one large crocodile, while others are still struggling against other crocodiles.

Young artist Maslihar likens corruption cases to clown acts in a circus, with Harlequin-like characters performing a constant stream of tricks on their audiences, always leading them on. “The larger the amount swindled in the corruption case, the more amusing the performance is,” says Maslihar, adding that he finds corruption cases even more entertaining when they are given large media coverage.

Melati Suryodarmo — Indonesia’s Trail-Blazing Performance Artist

Melati Suryodarmo gained widespread attention in 2012 when a video of her work Exergie — Butter Dance went viral online. A re-edited version of the performance, set to Someone Like You by Adele, drew more than a million views. The original piece, first staged in Berlin in 2000, features her dancing on melting butter. Wearing a black dress and red heels, she repeatedly slips and falls. After about twenty minutes, she leaves the stage exhausted and covered in butter. [Source: Rachel Will, New York Times, June 12, 2014]

The viral video brought her international recognition and expanded the audience for her work. Both the original and edited versions sparked mixed reactions from viewers. Some found the performance powerful, while others misunderstood or criticized it. Suryodarmo has said that such varied responses are part of the artistic process. She embraces the freedom of interpretation and does not mind whether audiences admire or reject her work.

Performance art, however, remains relatively unfamiliar in Indonesia. The form reached a peak in the 1980s, when experimental theater was used to protest the regime of Suharto. Since then, support has declined, making funding scarce and limiting its popularity. Despite these challenges, Suryodarmo continues to promote the discipline. She organizes the annual Undisclosed Territory workshop in Solo, inviting international artists to mentor young Indonesians.

Her artistic background is deeply rooted in her family and education. Her father developed a meditative dance practice, while her mother was a traditional Javanese dancer. A turning point came when she met Japanese Butoh artist Anzu Furukawa in Germany. She later studied under Furukawa and also trained with Marina Abramović. Suryodarmo even assisted Abramović and performed with her at the 2003 Venice Biennale.

Her performances are known for their physical intensity and emotional depth. Works include spending hours in confined spaces or undertaking repetitive, exhausting actions. In one piece, she crushed charcoal for twelve hours until collapsing. In another, she balanced a heavy sheet of glass while repeating “I love you” for hours. These works often explore themes of endurance, identity, and human emotion.

Suryodarmo develops only one or two new performances each year, reflecting a long and careful creative process. She may spend months or even years researching and preparing a piece. Drawing from personal experience, she also strives to create emotional distance so audiences can connect in their own way. Now dividing her time between Germany and Indonesia, she continues to perform globally. Critics, including Abramović, believe her work is still evolving and that her strongest creations may yet be ahead.

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