"Contemporary realism from outside Europe and the United States is still being marginalized," curator Jim Supangkat recently said during an award ceremony at the Akili Museum of Art in Kedoya, South Jakarta.

"Although realist painting has grown in popularity recently, it's been more of a trend outside Europe and the U.S., so there's this feeling it's obsolete," he added.

To combat that notion, the museum is holding its 2008 Akili Museum Art Award with the theme "Expanding Contemporary Realism".

"It's meant to expand the discourse on contemporary realism from beyond Europe and the U.S. to the rest of the world," Jim said.

Some 130 portfolios from 30 young Indonesian realist painters were evaluated by a panel of five judges: Jim, painter Chusin Setiadikara, art critic Suwarno Wisetrotomo and curators Rizki Zaelani and Kuss Indarto.

Agus Triyanto BR, 29, a graduate from the Yogyakarta Institute of Art, received the award, which will allow him to study realist painting with experts at China's renowned Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The state-run academy in Beijing, the most sought-after institution among China's young artists, is so selective it turns away more than 90 percent of applicants each year.

"This is the first time the Academy has accepted an Indonesian artist," Jim added.

The judges shortlisted 17 artists in total -- Agus, Denny "Snod" Susanto, Hadi Soesanto, Robi Fathoni, Suibertus Sarwoko, Suraji, Setyo Priyo Nugroho, Warsito, Wilman Syahnur, Zirwen Hazri, Agung "Tato" Suryanto, Agus Cahaya, I Nyoman Wijaya, I Made Alit Suaja, Triyadi Guntur Wiratmo, Yogie, Achmad Ginanjar and Polenk Rediasa.

Two artists were nominated for the Academy: Agus and Setyo Priyo Nugroho, the former praised by Jim for his expressionist leanings.

"There's expression amidst the realist details."

Setyo's work paid great attention to details, Jim added.

"My guess is that the academy would be interested in an artist that has an expressionist style mixed with realist painting," he said.

Agus said he had always been drawn to realism.

"I've tried a lot of different styles of painting and I've always been drawn to realism," he said.

Inspired by realist painter Jenny Saville, his work depicts violence at the social level, Agus added. His painting, "Another Day In My Country", in which a man is kicked in the face, is dominated by blue tones, in contrast to the tan color of the face depicted. The word "Kraak" is painted across the canvas, to suggest the sound of a jaw being broken.

"Indonesia is filled with violence every day, which we see in the everyday news," Agus said.

The Akili Museum of Art is a private museum founded in 2006 by entrepreneur and art collector Rudi Akili. For its inauguration, Akili organized a "Grand Opening Exhibition", which included works from maestros Raden Saleh, Sudjojono, Affandi, Basoeki and Abdullah, among others.

In 2007, the museum held its "China Realism 2007", with works from Chen Yifei, Chen Yanning, Yang Feiyun, Wang Yidong and others.

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