Heri makes fun of bitter realities

Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta

Brazil may boast of its "3 R's" in soccer: Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho as the three of them have garnered the 2002 World Cup for Brazil. But Indonesia can also take pride in its trio of contemporary fine artists with a shining reputation in the international arena: Heri Dono, Eddie Hara and Dadang Christanto. The three of them are graduates of the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) of Yogyakarta and belong to the 1980 class.

While the Brazilian trio have to kick a ball between their opponent's goal posts, Heri, Eddie and Dadang are free to kick their goal (their work) anywhere (i.e. exhibitions in galleries and museums) they wish as opportunities arise.

Heri Dono was born in Jakarta on June 12, 1960 in a military family. Strangely, while he was in the elementary and secondary school, he would get only 5 as a score in drawing classes. Hence he lost trust in grades and exams and began to believe in relativity.

After leaving Strada secondary school, he continued his studies at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) at the Fine Arts School and the Indonesian Fine Arts Academy (ASRI, now ISI). Even in ASRI, he did not get excellent grades.

But, who would now dare to give him a 5 for his achievement?

After graduating from ASRI and completing private lessons in the art of leather puppet-making with Sukasman, he became an artist in residence at the Canberra School of Art, Queensland Art College in Brisbane, Auckland University, New Zealand, the Institute of International Visual Art London, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson USA, Western Front Vancouver, Canada and other art institutes.

His first solo exhibition was held in Cemeti art house in Yogyakarta, Mitra Budaya Jakarta and Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta (both in 1988), Afterwards, he held exhibitions abroad in Switzerland, Australia, England, Singapore, Canada and Japan. He has also taken part in numerous joint exhibitions.

Heri has earned a lot of citations, among others from ISI Yogyakarta, L'Alliance and ITB Bandung, the I Nyoman Lempad Prize, Prince Claus Award (1998) and the UNESCO Prize for the International Art Biennial, Shanghai (2000). In September this year he will receive another citation, the 2nd Annual Enku Grand Award from Gifu Prefectural Government, Japan.

Famous galleries and museums in many countries have collected his works, such as Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan, Singapore Art Museum and the National Gallery in Canberra, Australia.

At present Heri lives in Yogyakarta. Strangely, he has not been given an ID card from the Yogyakarta administration yet as the one in his pocket now is issued by the Jakarta administration. It does not bother him though, as he loves both Jakarta and Yogyakarta, just as he loves other cities in the world, the places where his works have been exhibited. As he likes traveling abroad, he lives in Indonesia only about six months a year.

Despite the label of being an international artist, Heri is still as modest as the average Yogyakarta artists: modestly dressed, wearing slippers and carrying a bag. To make sure that he does not become lazy, he goes to his studio in Yogyakarta by bicycle.

He believes that modern man is under a great health threat because of consumerism spurred partly by technological advances. That's why he denies himself even a cellular phone. He uses e-mail, though, for long-distance communication because it is practical and cheap.

His latest exhibition took place at Nadi Gallery, Jakarta and ended on July 7. So far, he has reportedly earned Rp 500 million from this exhibition.

"You must remember that this is only an effect. For me, the most important thing in a exhibition, be it painting, installation art or performance art, is that it offers ideas. If some works have found their buyers, this is only an effect and not the purpose of the exhibition itself," he said.

Regardless of money, every work by Heri Dono enjoys great attention from art buffs. It must be admitted that he is very smart at capturing and exposing problems related to politics, economics, society and culture. Then he presents these issues interestingly with a touch of humor.

Sindhunata, chief editor of Yogyakarta-based Basis cultural magazine suspects that the goal of Heri Dono's creativity is to make people laugh when they are aware of their rationality.

Heri can laugh at anything anywhere. In 1998, for example, he caused a stir in New Zealand with his installation, Kentut Semar (Semar's fart). In 2000 the same thing occurred with his painting, Superman Belajar Memakai Celana Dalam (Superman Learns to Wear Underpants), when he was artist in residence in Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, USA.

In the international arena, Heri Dono is aware that he is carrying the "Asian mission". He knows that Asia is rich in age- old values and that these values can be found in traditional culture.

He has frequently found that what is new to Westerners has actually been practiced for a long time by Asians. An example is the postmodernist concept of mindfulness, which is nothing but the Javanese philosophical concept of eling lan waspodo (being mindful and alert).