Barli Sasmitawinata

1921 – 2007

Barli Sasmitawinata was born in Bandung on 18 March 1921. He began painting in 1935 as a member of Kelompok Lima Bandung. His artistic journey was shaped by his studies under Jos Pluimentz and Luigi Nobili, before furthering his education at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris and the Academy of Fine Art in Amsterdam in 1957.

Throughout his career, he received numerous awards, including the Jaarmarktprijs in Surabaya, recognition from Keimin Bunka Shidoso in Jakarta, Barisan Propaganda Jabar, and the Culturele Stichting Samenwerking Nederland-Indonesië in the Netherlands.

After completing his studies abroad, he returned to Indonesia and founded Sanggar Rangga Gempol in Dago, Bandung, in 1958, a studio dedicated to nurturing young artists. He also taught painting at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and was one of the pioneers in establishing the Fine Arts Department at the Institute of Teaching and Educational Sciences (IKIP) Bandung—now known as Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI)—in 1961.

In his later years, Barli focused on informal art education, mentoring students at his studio. His dedication to the arts led him to establish the Barli Museum in Bandung in 1992, preserving his artistic legacy and contributions to Indonesian art. He passed away in 2007.