Literary Indonesia

This site is maintained by the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS), and compiled by Brian Arnold. Here we will share quotes from famous literature by or about Indonesia/Indonesians. AIFIS is committed to fostering cultural exchange and collaborations between the United States and Indonesia. For more information, visit the AIFS website at aifis.org.

[gacougnol]

Eliot Elisofon (1911 – 1973)

Balinese dancer, nd

[arjuna-vallabha]

Pedanda (Balinese brahmana priest) doing rite of worship, by Tyra Kleen

[arjuna-vallabha]

Priestess in Hindu temple on Bali island

[hauntedbystorytelling]

Jane Reece :: Takka-Takka and Yoga-Taro, Javanese Dancers, Paris, 1922. / source Daytona Art Institute

[harvard-art-museums-photography]

Untitled (Borobudur, Java), Ben Shahn, January 26, 1960-February 2, 1960, Harvard Art Museums: Photographs

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Bernarda Bryson Shahn Size: image: 6 x 8.1 cm (2 3/8 x 3 3/16 in.) sheet: 6.6 x 8.7 cm (2 5/8 x 3 7/16 in.)

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/280619

[sinetheta]

Gazing on Identity / Menewarang Identitas by FX Harsono (胡丰文). 2016.

A founding member of of Indonesia’s Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru (New Art Movement), Javanese-Chinese contemporary artist FX Harsono is widely recognized for his performance and installation art as a response to the former dictatorial Suharto regime and subsequent violence against Indonesia’s Chinese minority. Into the 21st century, Harsono’s primary focus has shifted from critique of politics to exploration of identity within the Chinese-Indonesian community.

Gazing on Identity is Harsono’s most recent solo exhibition that examines the controversy of Chinese identity documents and the suspicion that surrounds them. The exhibit’s components range from installations of wooden blocks, digital prints, and LED lights to traditional drawings and oil on canvas. These varying mediums are unified under the theme of juxtaposing documented identity with cultural identity.

“For the Chinese, although they were born in Indonesia, they are still considered as migrant. Apart from Indonesian Citizenship certificate, they must also have other documents, where this regulation is not applied to ‘real’ Indonesians. The dichotomy of real-migrant, free-bonded, is presented in this work.” -FX Harsono.

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[hinducosmos]

Vishnu on Garuda Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Park, Ungasan, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia. (via Instagram: Laurent | Singapore 🇸🇬 @pariseasia)

[harvard-art-museums-photography]

Untitled (Denpasar Museum, Bali), Ben Shahn, February 2, 1960-February 17, 1960, Harvard Art Museums: Photographs

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Bernarda Bryson Shahn Size: image: 8.1 x 6 cm (3 3/16 x 2 3/8 in.) sheet: 8.7 x 6.6 cm (3 7/16 x 2 5/8 in.)

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/280953

[jennifer-wosnitzky]

Mella Jaarsma

“Animals Have No Religion”

[kecakecak]

Sanghyang Jaran, 1938

Beryl De Zoete, Walter Spies Dance and Drama in Bali Oxford University Press, 1973

Plate 28. Sanghyang Djaran in Trance

[warungbali]

[peashooter85]

Gold decorated Kris from Java, Indonesia, 19th century.

from The Wallace Collection

[harvard-art-museums-photography]

Untitled (cremation ceremony, Java), Ben Shahn, January 26, 1960-February 2, 1960, Harvard Art Museums: Photographs

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Bernarda Bryson Shahn Size: image: 6 x 8.1 cm (2 3/8 x 3 3/16 in.) sheet: 6.6 x 8.7 cm (2 5/8 x 3 7/16 in.)

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/280762

[fragrantblossomstwo]

Kassian Cephas.  Princess of the Kraton of Yogyakarta (Indonesia), 1900.

[literaryindonesia]

Photograph by Kassian Cephas, the first photographer of Javanese descent active during the Dutch colonial period.

[arjuna-vallabha]

Balinese sculpture

[arjuna-vallabha]

Ritual trance in Bali