JP/Munarsih Sahana

In fact, Soenarto PR’s passion for pastel oil has led to him being crowned the “Pastel Oil King”.

 At the age of 79, this spirited painter who experienced fighting for Indonesia’s independence, enjoys spending quality time with people, particularly younger painters, through the Sanggar Bambu (Bamboo Studio) artist community he founded along with then fellow artists in 1959.

He has spent most of his life teaching for free at Sanggar Bambu, an institution with a strong family spirit that nurtures young artists’ talent. It is no wonder he does not have a house of his own.

Lending a hand to other people — before helping himself — prevented him from organizing his own solo exhibition. So his close friends, prominent visual artist Nasirun and Yogyakarta art activists Hermanu, Harry “Ong” Wahyu and Samuel Indratma, put together an exhibition of his works at the Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, running until today.

Some 45 paintings, mostly portraits of local and international public figures, and a few sketches from the collection of artists Nasirun, Djoko Pekik and movie star Mien Brodjom, are currently on show at the exhibition.

The display is also part of a series of exhibitions conducted by Bentara to promote prominent senior artists who have been overlooked in the midst of the contemporary art scene.

Almost all of Soenarto’s works using pastel oil on paper — now on display — are faces of prominent figures from Indonesia and the world, including those of national heroes.

He has painted Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Aung San Suu Kyi, Fidel Castro, Karl Max and Florence Nightingale, to name a few.

Local portraits include national heroes such as Raden Ajeng Kartini, Bung Tomo and Gatot Subroto, as well as social and religious leaders like Kyai Hamim Jazuli (Gus Mik), Kyai Haji Hasyim Ansyari, Emha Ainun Nadjib, and the fourth Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur.

Influential figures in his artistic journey have also been immortalized on his canvas, including painters I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman, RJ Katamsi, Affandy and Soedjojono. The last two artists taught him in their respective studios and at the Indonesian Arts Academy, ASRI Yogyakarta, where he graduated in 1954.

To master painting techniques, Soenarto PR did not mind babysitting Soedjojono’s children while studying in his studio. Interning at Affandy’s studio not only gave him the technical knowledge, but also valuable insights into what paints produce the best results.

Sculptures and paintings of individuals who fought for Indonesia’s independence such as General Gatot Subroto and General Sudirman, can also be found at the exhibition.

Soenarto PR sketched battle scenes during the revolution such as the “Indonesian Students’ Association Joined the Battle in Banjarnegara” and “Pongky Soepardjo Helping Captain Soejenal of Soerono Batallion”.

Only a few of his works use oil on canvas, including “The Balinese Dance Teacher”, “Jenderal Sudirman” and “A Portrait of a Model from Mojokerto”. Soenarto PR explained he was more comfortable with pastel oil.

“It is much easier for me to use pastel oil. I can easily paint a soft whitish sky, or even a much better nose with this type of paint.”

He adheres to the Realism school of painting, explaining this style allows him to provide more insight into the people he depicts.

In addition to painting, Soenarto PR was also commissioned to sculpt statues of the late Ki Hajar Dewantara, Bung Tomo, Gatot Subroto and Latuharhary (in Haruko Island).

Younger Indonesian artists acknowledge Soenarto PR as a cultural hero because he helped set up the infrastructure to nurture Indonesian fine arts at a time where art education barely existed (in the 1960s), with his Sanggar Bambu art community.

“His compelling dedication to Indonesian visual art is enormous and he is still eager to work hard despite his age. He doesn’t even care if [using canvas] for his works mean they lose value,” said Nasirun about Soenarto PR.

 To pay homage to his seniors such as Soenarto PR, Nasirun has collected almost 100 of Soenarto’s works and dozens more from Sanggar Bambu members, with the aim of displaying them in a new building he is constructing.

He has painted Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Aung San Suu Kyi, Fidel Castro, Karl Max and Florence Nightingale, to name a few.

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