From Another Island

A typical Indonesian art education differs enormously from the training offered in art institutions in Ireland, the UK and indeed the rest of the Western world. Art colleges in Indonesia, in line with other Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, adopt a more traditional pedagogical approach. One that is heavily influenced by the government’s cultural policy, with syllabi often based on Indonesian cultural values described as “playing an active role in the creation of pure art that produces Indonesian identity based on these values” . The artist’s alma mater, for example, offers a Traditional Weapons and Keris Programme as part of its fine art degree. Many of Gugi’s contemporaries work in this vein, producing art that espouses the values set forth by the Indonesian Education ministry. In this way, artists are encouraged to work in service of national identity and to keep alive ancient and traditional crafts, for which there is a strong tourist demand.