Running from June 11 to 26, this special exhibition brings the legacy of Sudjana Kerton (1922–1994) to new light. It serves not only as a reminder of his artistic achievements but also as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the weight of memory, and the deep imprint of Indonesia’s formative years.

Kerton’s body of work spans sketches, drawings, prints, lithographs, woodcuts and paintings. These were produced using the most accessible materials available at the time, decades before the convenience of digital photography or modern printing methods. In their simplicity lies their power. Each line and brushstroke carries the urgency of moments too important to forget: a nation in flux, a revolution in motion and a people in the process of defining themselves.

Born in Bandung, West Java, Kerton initially trained as a draftsman, but his career quickly evolved into something much more layered. As an illustrator and journalist, he contributed to newspapers such as Patriot and Orientatie. This dual identity, artist and reporter, proved crucial during Indonesia’s struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule. Relocating to Yogyakarta, Kerton began working as a frontline illustrator, capturing political developments and battlefield scenes in real time.

He often accompanied President Soekarno, documenting public appearances and closed-door meetings alike. His pen and ink sketches from this period are particularly striking: raw, immediate and deeply human. There are soldiers with hollowed eyes, their exhaustion written across every line of their faces. There are quick battlefield sketches, etched with precision and emotion, depicting the intensity of revolutionary moments. These artworks did more than record history, they felt it.

After independence was won, Kerton’s artistic journey expanded beyond Indonesia’s borders. Awarded a scholarship, he traveled to the Netherlands and France. Later, he visited the United States and Mexico, where he encountered the bold, socially engaged murals of Diego Rivera. That encounter sparked a profound resonance. Kerton absorbed the vibrant political artistry of Rivera and others, infusing it with his own sensibilities rooted in Indonesian soil.

Although Kerton spent more than two decades abroad, his heart never left his homeland. In fact, he remained deeply connected to Indonesia and its people.

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