FX Harsono

B. 1949

FX Harsono, born in Blitar, East Java, is a pioneering Indonesian contemporary artist and a founding member of the New Art Movement, as well as a signatory of the Black December Statement. He studied at STSRI/ASRI Yogyakarta (1969–1974) and later at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts. Since 1975, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions in major cities and institutions worldwide, including New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, and the Singapore Art Museum.

Known for works addressing social and political issues, Harsono’s early art critiqued the New Order regime, while since 2009 his research-based practice has explored identity, culture, and the history of Chinese Indonesians. His works are in major public collections such as the National Gallery of Australia, Singapore Art Museum, and Museum Macan. He initiated the Exi(s)t project to support emerging artists and has received notable honors including the Prince Claus Award (2014) and the Joseph Balestier Award for the Freedom of Art (2015).