SUBROTO SOMOMARTONO

Accoladed Painter

Klaten, Central Java born Subroto Somomartono is an Accoladed Painter who has been awarded a Wendy Sorensen Memorial Fund USA Certification of Merit with Prizes for Best Painting at the ASRI Anniversary Art Exhibition in 1968, Indonesian Art Institute of Yogyakarta Symbol Designer Certification of Merit with Prizes in 2008, Jogja Annual Art #2 Themed Bergerak (Move) Certification of Merit for the dedication and thoughts in Indonesia’s Art Development in 2017.

Somomartono utilizes two methodologies in his painting techniques. At times he makes forms without thought on content such as in his paintings Torso, Nude or Gadis Duduk (Sitting Girl), at other times he paints based on themes such as on a mother’s love for her child, human depression, disasters, crucifixion, starvation and further others. These painting ideas may appear anytime and may be kept hidden or have not been realized or may be too difficult to achieve. He says “In my visualization, I desire natural forms that can deeply express profound hand and feeling resonation that’s based on linear line strengths that manifests pure, essential and expressive art forms”.

Former ISI lecturer Subroto teaches his art students among others that there is no absolute right and wrong in art, where every student possesses unique values. In an experimental faculty art subject students were allowed freedom where some used live eels to express painting forms, others employed balloon explosions while another made use of ouija boards. Subroto requires students to produce at least 500 sketches in one semester, saying “After grasping the unique styles of students, I don’t focusedly attend to them anymore”.

During his past 42 years as a Lecturer as well as a Faculty Dean at the Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI), Subroto has also been simultaneously active in art painting and participations in numerous local and international art exhibitions since 1967.

This painter who studied Ceramics in Japan from 19751977 performed solo exhibitions of a Jogjakarta Bentara Budaya 1984 Solo Exhibition, a Jakarta Galeri Milenium 2002 Solo Exhibition, and a Jogjakarta Kiniko Art The Master #3 2023 Solo Exhibition.

The 1999 Gadjah Mada University Master of Humanity Graduate’s art group exhibition participation in the last three years were Jakarta International Creative Arts Festival, Pray for Myanmar Virtual, Art Reunion, Waskita Art, Gangsar Gugur Gunung #2, Tosca Group Art, Agawe Santosa Art, Wiwitan Pasa Art, UUK DIY Art, IKASSRI #6: Soul for the Fine Arts, and Tino Sidin Art Project #2.