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span class="caption" style="width: 398px;">In disguise: Politik – Moral = Serigala (Politics – Morality = Wolf) alludes to concerns with the government and politicians.JP/Wendra AjistyatamaOn the third floor of a large, exclusive mall in Central Jakarta, visitors are being reminded of the bitter realities not far from the air-conditioned building.

On Jakarta’s streets, impoverished people struggle hard to make ends meet and scavengers and beggars are scattered on every corner of the city, while in other areas politicians and government officials abuse their power to enrich themselves without attending to the needs of the people.

These bitter facts are presented in the form of 85 caricatures installed in a hall on the third floor of Grand Indonesia, between a fancy restaurant and a shopping gallery of pricey items that only the haves can afford.

The exhibition of art from caricature genius Pramono R. Pramoedjo is a parade of impoverished faces amid the glamorous atmosphere of the luxurious mall.

The exhibition is Pramono’s commemoration of his 45-year career as a caricaturist.

With the title “45 Years Recording Indonesia”, the exhibition was also created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sinar Harapan newspaper, where the 68-year-old caricaturist has worked for more than 40 years.

Instead of showcasing the artist’s entire collection, the organizers selected only a few of Pramono’s drawings that were created in the last decade for the exhibition.

“We think visitors can more easily relate to the caricatures that were recently done,” Pramono said.

Hot issues like the recent tax scandal involving former low-level tax official Gayus H. Tambunan are among the subjects Pramono has illustrated.

Others include the fraud cases of Melinda Dee, the bank official who allegedly swindled her clients out of Rp 17 billion (US$1.9 million). And, last but not least, the Bank Century scandal, which is believed to have involved high-ranking officials and politicians, also gets the spotlight in the exhibition.

The selection of drawings seems to be designed in the hopes of helping people with little sense of art and politics to be able to enjoy Pramono’s caricatures. Mall visitors of various backgrounds and ages can just stop by and be entertained during a shopping spree without having to wrinkle their foreheads.

Apart from the corruption issue, Pramono also highlights another classic problem that this country struggles with: poverty.

Most of his drawings tell the story of how the poor are being exploited and victimized by powerful people and corrupt politicians.

One of the caricatures has five people carrying a giant ball with the word poverty attached to it. A similar focus on the poor can also be seen in works related to issues like education rights, energy and justice.

The most touching illustration tells the tragic story of 55-year-old Minah, who was imprisoned for allegedly stealing three cacao beans.

Showing the irony, Pramono drew the old woman being handcuffed, sadly holding three cacao beans while in the background a fat man laughs, telling her to steal Rp 3 trillion like various corruptors have done and gotten away.

Pramono’s effort to capture the problems of the little people in this country has reaped praise from friends, colleagues and Sinar Harapan readers.

Corruption: An illustration titled Semangat, dong! (Come on!) deals with issues of corruption and the KPK in Indonesia. JP/Wendra AjistyatamaPeople laud him for his broad knowledge and sensitivity in representing the voices of the people in his caricatures.

He always represents the public’s voice in small characters that appear in the form of worms, birds and diminutive people who provide sharp comments.

He says he likes to talk to strangers, mostly the poor, to get inspiration for his drawings.

Sinar Harapan president director Rosihan Arsyad Pramono applauded Pramono’s drawings as “sharp and witty but not rude”.

Overall, the drawings do not necessarily stand out for their artistry, as they are mostly in black and white. His style reminds one of many other caricaturists in the country. But, his jokes are what make him unique.

The founder of the Cartoon Museum in Bali is known for his indirectness and soft criticisms through his drawings. For example, rather than drawing the faces of corrupt officials, he chooses to make symbols of them.

People will see a few familiar faces in his drawings, forcing one to ponder and guess who the people are Pramono is referring to.

In a drawing titled Citra Pesona (Charm Image), for example, he has a big fat man standing on top of a tall building under construction while underneath the poor appear confused, a criticism of the image-building of politicians ahead of the 2014 presidential poll.

People may see the fat man as President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono, but, instead of stating the obvious, Pramono’s figure remains nameless.

Caricature analyst Darminto M. Sudarmo said Pramono’s soft jokes demonstrate his strong Javanese background.

“It’s naughty and biting but it is still within the Javanese cultural corridor,” Darminto said on the works of the caricaturist from Magelang, Central Java.

With vague language, Pramono’s caricatures seem to ask people to be contemplative in order to understand his message, Darminto said.

But once one gets it, it will last in one’s memory forever.

Enjoying his caricatures at the exhibition — in the midst of a lavish mall — is like a slap in the face at the sad reality in this country.

Pramono’s exhibition offers visitors one major question to bring home along with their shopping bags: Have we moved forward as a nation?