The OHD Museum is well-known for its collections that focus on the history of modern Indonesian art, and in this context the OHD Museum’s collection is the most comprehensive. This exhibition seeks to represent the development of modern and contemporary Indonesian artworks. Given the limited exhibition space, it is only possible to present some of the important artists with examples of their work, from various eras, groups, art academies, and various styles that exist in the history of modern and contemporary Indonesia art. The number of artists involved is 82, 73 male and 9 female, from the oldest Affandi and other “old masters” generation to the youngest artist Agugn Prabowo born in 1985. There are 98 artworks, 87 two dimensional mostly paintings, 10 three dimensional and 1 video.

The role of artists’ groups or studios in the past and also today is important for the career development of Indonesian artists. Among the well-known groups of the past were the Group of Five from Bandung (Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Sudarso, Barli Sasmitawinata, Wahdi Sumanta, 1935) who practiced painting together in Bandung; PERSAGI/Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia (S. Sudjojono and Agus Djaya as founders, e.a. 1938) which was the most important artist organization and considered as the pioneer of modern Indonesian art; SIM/Seniman Indonesia Muda (S. Sudjojono as founder, Soedibio, Harijadi S. e.a. 1946) which was founded when the Indonesian government moved to Yogyakarta as the Dutch came back and settled in Jakarta. Pelukis Rakyat (Hendra Gunawan, Affandi, Trubus e.a. 1947) which was a split of SIM. Two existing major groups of the younger generation are SDI/Sanggar Dewata Indonesia of an artists’ community from Bali and SAKATO of artists from West Sumatra. Besides, there are still small groups such as Jendela, Gelaran (disbanded), Genta (disbanded) that produced tough artists, and others.

Artists can also be grouped according to the art academy they attend which produce different character of artworks, particularly in the past. We have 3 major art schools: “ASRI”/ISI Yogyakarta, ITB-Bandung, IKJ-Jakarta, which could deliver different approaches for the art and art practice. There are also artists who are not in any group but stand-alone like Salim, who at a very young age had moved to Europe and later lived in Paris until the end of his life. Likewise Sudjana Kerton went to Europe after independence and then lived in the USA for very long even though he finally return to Indonesia.
These different artists’ backgrounds have produced a wide variety of works that can be seen in this exhibition.

Adi Kaniko | Aditya Hediyanto | Affandi | Agugn Prabowo

Agus Djaya | Agus Suwage | Arahmaiani | Ashley Bickerton

Astari Rasjid | Ay Tjoe Christine | Barli Sasmitawinata

Basuki Resobowo | Batara Lubis | Bilaningsih | Budi Kustarto

Bunga Jeruk | Chitaru Kawasaki | Dadang Christanto | Dedy Sufriadi

Dhanank Pambayun | Dipo Andy | Dullah | Edi Sunaryo

Eko Nugroho | Entang Wiharso | Erizal As | F. X Harsono

Galam Zulkifli | Gusmen Heriadi | Handiwirman | Handrio

Harijadi S. | Haris Purnomo | Hendra Gunawan | Heri Dono

I Gusti Ngurah Udiantara | I. G. A. K. Murniasih | Indra Leonardi

Ivan Sagito | Jeihan Sukmantoro | Jumaldi Alfi

Kartono Yudhokusumo | Kwee Ing Tjiong | Lucia Hartini

M. Irfan | Made Djirna | Made Wianta | Nashar | Nasirun

Nasjah Djamin | Nyoman Masriadi | Nyoman Nuarta

Nyoman Sukari | O. H. Supono | Paul Kadarisman | Popo Iskandar

Pupuk D. P. | R. Roedyat Martadiradja | Rispul | Ronald Manullang

Rudi Mantofani | Rusli | S. Sudjojono | Salim | Soedibio | Soetopo

Srihadi Soedarsono | Sudarso | Sudjana Kerton | Sutjipto Adi

Suhadi | Sunaryo | Suraji | Titarubi | Trubus Soedarsono | Ugo Untoro

Wahdi Sumanta | Widayat | Wisaksono | Yani Mariani Sastranegara

Yunizar | Yuswantoro Adi

PORTRAIT:

The Sincere One Who Knows Himself

Over the last five years, since entering the Indonesian art scene as an artist in 2016, Goenawan Mohamad has produced approximately 500 paper works, 100 paintings on canvas, and 200 collaborative works that have been held in 10 solo exhibitions (in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Semarang), 3 group exhibitions (in Jakarta, Semarang, and Magelang), and 2 duo performances (with the artist Hanafi in 57 x 76 at the National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, and Komaneka Art Gallery, Bali).

Of the approximately 600 works: 99% depicted portraits of humans, animals, puppets, and creatures from nowhere. There are evee figures—including Djoko Pekik, Frida Kahlo, Slamet Gundono, and Rendra—which he painted over and over on different paper and canvases, or repainted on the same canvas with poses, compositions, and new values.

What calls the author of the legendary “Finger Notes” to draw and paint portraits with photographs or images? Why does the author of the essay “Portrait of a Young Poet as Si Malin Kundang” which has become a classic, always draws and paints portraits by memory?

“I enjoy painting portraits,” says Goenawan Mohamad, “because it requires a certain skill—and I feel challenged.”

In addition, said the artist born in Batang, Central Java on April 29, 1941: “There is a deep ethical appeal in the art of portraiture, an attraction to pay homage to the face.”

For all of this information, Goenawan Mohamad’s tenth solo exhibition set the title “Potret—The Sincere Who Knows Himself”. Especially if we remember his wisdom from 2004: “A painting is a yearning that has no intention of reciprocating: a painter calls out to the other who he knows will not call back.”