Thanks to the help of Father Koch SJ, Basuki Abdullah in 1933 obtained a scholarship to study at the Academic Arts (Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten) in Den Haag, The Netherlands, and completed his studies within 3 years with awarded Certificates Royal International of Art (RIA).
Thanks to the help of Father Koch SJ, Basuki Abdullah in 1933 obtained a scholarship to study at the Academic Arts (Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten) in Den Haag, The Netherlands, and completed his studies within 3 years with awarded Certificates Royal International of Art (RIA).
Basuki Abdullah was an Indonesian painter and a convert to Roman Catholicism from Islam. This realist and naturalist painter was appointed as the official painter of the Merdeka Palace in 1974, where his paintings adorn the palace. In addition his works can be found in various collections in many corners of the world.
Background
Basuki Abdullah was born in Surakarta, Central Java, on January 27, 1915. Painting talent inherited from his father, Abdullah Suriosubroto, who was also a painter and dancer. Since the age of 4 years Basuki Abdullah began painting some famous figures including Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Jesus Christ, and Krishnamurti.
Education
Basuki Abdullah’s formal education acquired in his Catholic Mulo in Solo. Thanks to the help of Father Koch SJ, Basuki Abdullah in 1933 obtained a scholarship to study at the Academic Arts (Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten) in Den Haag, The Netherlands, and completed his studies within 3 years with awarded Certificates Royal International of Art (RIA).
Basuki was famous as one of Naturalism and Romanticism Painter Maestro from Indonesia. He was appointed and in charged as Formal Painter in Jakarta “Merdeka” Palace, Indonesia. In 1939, Basuki Abdullah held a Roadshow within Indonesia. Before the roadshow, his paintings could only be enjoyed by oversea fans. Because of that reason, he brought his paintings, so that Indonesia people (local fans) could enjoy them too through exhibitions. The roadshow was covering Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Medan. He received many criticism and praises at the same time. Through the roadshow, besides getting recognitions, he hoped that he would have new inspirations.
In 1942, he joined the Poetra (Poesat Tenaga Rakyat), an organization which was founded by the Japanese Government in Indonesia. In this organization, Basuki Abdullah got the tasks to teach Visual Art – Painting. There were several painters who were his students, such as Kusnadi (who was famous as Art Criticus) and Zaini (who was famous as Painter). Besides he was active in Poetra, he was also involved in Bunka Sdhojo (Culture Centre which was owned by Japanese Government in Indonesia) with Affandi, S Soedjojono, Otto Djaja, and Basoeki Resobowo.
During Indonesia Independency, Basuki Abdullah and his wife Maya Michel were in Europe. During that time, he was actively holding many exhibitions in Netherland and England. The exhibitions were held in these places, as follows the Netherlands Merdag Museum (1945), and exhibitions in Bristol, England (1946) as well as Apeldoorn, Amersfoort, the Maritime Museum (1947), the Nieuwe Muzick Schooi-Zeisr (1948) and The Scheveningen in the Netherlands, and also the Victoria Hotel (1949).
In 1949, he got chance to paint Bung Hatta, Rahmi Hatta, Moh. Roem, and Sultan Hamid II during Round Table Conference in Den Haag, Netherland. Besides that, he won a Painting Competition which was held during the coronation of Yuliana Queen on September 6, 1948 in Nieuw Kerk, Amsterdam, Netherland.
Without his notice, his struggle or efforts to introduce himself as an Indonesian Painter, has already made him famous as The Ambassador of Indonesia Painters. He had brought and created good and positive image of Indonesia as a nation and country around the world. And furthermore, he had succeeded to reach the honorable position oversea, as the Formal Thailand Royal Kingdom Painter and awarded with “Poporo” Gold Star from the Thailand King named Raja Bhumibol Aduljadej, which was known as the highest awards for Formal Royal Kingdom Artist who had already given or sacrificed huge efforts for the nation and country.
As his continuous efforts as professional and international painter becoming more clearly and firm, he appointed to paint many Kings in many nations, Presidents, and other Oversea highest Government Officers. Besides that, he managed to hold many oversea exhibitions such as in Singapura (1951), Italy (1955), Portugal (1956), Singapore (1958), Tokyo, Japan (1959), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1959), and Thailand (1960).
It was recorded that in the year 1959, there was one special event in Tokyo - Japan, which his exhibition was opened and visited by Mikasa Prince who was known as the son of Hirohito Japanese King. The Japanese society were very amazed to see his naturalism and academic paintings during the exhibition. The Japanese traditional painting field got new insights from the exhibition, that the European style Sceneries Paintings could be painted perfectly by Asian - Indonesian painter.
Basuki Abdullah was also a dancer. He was used to dance as Rahwana or Hanoman – the heroic White Monkey in the Ramayana Traditional Theatrical Theme Dance. He was capable and understand perfectly about the Javanese culture and Javanese Puppets; he perfectly understood and became big fan for International music compositions such as Franz Schubert, Bethoven, and Paganini.
Basuki Abdullah passed away on November 5, 1993 at his own residence. He got killed by his employee – the Gardener at early morning. The gardener tried to steal his valuable watch collections. Then he was buried at Mlati Cemetery in Sleman, Yogyakarta.
Basuki Abdullah adhered to the artistic traditions of Realism.
Personality
Basuki was a very good observer. He pictures everything very clear and quite fair for all his paintings. He is a naturalist painter, he is capable to see the anatomy as the way it is. He is definitely a romanticism painter, as his paintings all represent their messages, this is including the body language and the emotional side that they want to express.
Interests
dancing
Music & Bands
Schubert, Beethoven and Paganini
Connections
Before 1937, Basuki was married with Josephine (Dutch woman) and had one daughter named Saraswati, who was born in 1938. He got divorced after that. In 1944, Basuki Abdullah got married with Maya Michel, who was Mezzo Soprano Opera Singer. And they got separated in 1956. In 1958, he married Thai woman named Somwang Noi, but they separated in 1960. In 1963, he married to Nataya Nareraat (Thai woman) and had one daughter named Cicilia Shidawati. He met his soulmate and they had happy marriage until the end of Basuki Abdullah’s life.