Ahmad Sadali

Ahmad Sadali was born in Garut, West Java, on July 29th, 1924, and passed away in 1987. He studied fine arts formally in the Fine Arts Department, Art and Design Faculty, Bandung Institute of Technology, and graduated in 1953. He was then granted a scholarship from the Department of Fine Arts, State University of Iowa, and New York Art Student League, the USA in 1956 – 1957. He had a great interest in art education; he served at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) as Head of Faculty of Fine Arts for three periods from 1962 to 1968, then as ITB’s Dean of School of Planning, Architecture, and Fine Arts in 1968-1869. His position as ITB’s Vice-Rector of External Affairs in 1969-1976 is another testament to his commitment as an educator. As an artist, Sadali is one of the essential exponents of Mazhab Bandung and is known as one who delves into Islamic spirituality, religiosity, and mysticism as those aspects collided with universal modernism values. Sadali’s contribution is evident in his involvement in fine arts exhibitions, both within the national and international arenas. To mention a few of such exhibitions: “11 Seniman Bandung”, at Galeri Seni Balai Budaya, Jakarta, in 1966; “Pameran Besar Seni Lukis Indonesia,” at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, in 1976; and “Exhibition of Islam Calligraphic Painting” in Jeddah and Riyadh, in 1985. His long track record has been summarized in a number of solo exhibitions, such as: “Lukisan Sadali,” at Erasmus-Huis, Jakarta, in 1987; and Indonesia’s fine arts maestro exhibition, “Ahmad Sadali: Karya, Pemikiran, Penafsiran,” at Galeri Nasional Indonesia, in 2014. The Indonesian government acknowledged Sadali’s contribution as an artist at the “Anugrah Seni Indonesia” in 1972.