AFFANDI (Cirebon, 1907 – 1990)

Born in Cirebon, March 11, 1907. He is considered as the Indonesian Artist par excellent. He was the founder of the Himpunan Pelukis Masyarakat (Community’s Artists Association (1946) and Himpunan Pelukis Rakyat (People’s Artists Association) in 1947, Affandi was committed to creating a new artistic idiom for Indonesia. In the early of 1950s he traveled to India for a grant from Indian Government, he held several one-man shows in several Indian Cities, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy. He received an Indonesian Art Award from the Ministry of Education and Culture (1969), the Dag Hammerskjoeld Prize from Italy (1977) and an Indonesian Government the First Class Merit (1978). His works were exhibited in major exhibitions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas and were also be acquired by major art collectors and institutions all over the world since the 1950s.