Rusli

Rusli was an Indonesian artist who first departed for India to study medicine but instead found his calling in the arts. From 1932 to 1936 he studied painting, sculpture, murals, and Eastern art philosophy at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, where he was deeply influenced by Rabindranath Tagore’s holistic vision of art and life.

Returning to Indonesia, he actively took part in the struggle for independence before dedicating himself to art education and practice. In 1951, he became a lecturer at ASRI Yogyakarta and went on to exhibit internationally in Rome, The Hague, and Amsterdam (1953–1956), gaining wide recognition.

By 1960, he was appointed Vice Chairman of IAPA Indonesia (International Association of Plastic Arts, UNESCO) and later became a lifelong member of the Jakarta Academy (1970), advising on arts and culture. For his achievements, Rusli received the Hamengku Buwono IX Award (2002) and the Satyalancana Kebudayaan (2003).