“Mr. Abdullah gave a lot of discourse in his intellectual work in the form of paintings. We can say he is like an inspiration for many painters today or many thinkers today,” Susanto told ANTARA after the 2022 Basoeki Abdullah Art Award here on Monday.
Abdullah, a proponent of realism and naturalism, was born on January 27, 1915. He graduated from Academie Voor Beeldende Kunsten in the Hague, the Netherlands, in 1933.
Known as an easygoing and neutral figure, he could mingle with important figures of the country.
In fact, during his lifetime, Abdullah painted many famous figures, such as the first Indonesian president Soekarno and the second president Soeharto. One of his well-known paintings (1992) depicts the heads of state who participated in the Non-Aligned Movement.
Abdullah recorded many historical events in the nation’s development through his paintings, Susanto said.
“Every stroke of Basoeki’s paintings contains not only artistic aspects but cultural, social, and political aspects,” he added.
Every stroke of his paintings shows his huge love for his home country, although he grew up and studied in schools founded by the Dutch, Susanto said.
“Being educated in a Dutch school did not prevent Abdullah from painting every beauty of Indonesia or even problems that are closely related to the people’s life,” he added.
Furthermore, Susanto expressed the hope that each painting by Abdullah would not only inspire young artists but also guide them to communicate their views on current modern life.
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