Moerdowo

1919 – 1995

Moerdowo was both a medical doctor and a devoted artist whose passion for painting paralleled his professional career. He's a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta Following Indonesia’s independence, he founded and led the Cultural Association of Surakarta in Solo and served as a member of the National Consultative Body for Culture, contributing significantly to the country’s post-independence cultural development.

In addition to his artistic practice, Moerdowo was an influential art critic and historian whose exhibitions were held both in Indonesia and abroad. His scholarly and reflective approach to art culminated in two notable publications, Ceremonies in Bali and Reflection on Indonesian Arts and Culture, which reveal his deep engagement with the intersections of tradition, culture, and modernity in Indonesian art.