SBY's Fire Horse Painting Auctioned for Rp 6.5 Billion to Low Tuck Kwong

Indonesia’s sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) auctioned a fire horse painting of his own creation at the Democrat Party’s 2026 Lunar New Year commemoration. The painting sold for Rp 6.5 billion to businessman Low Tuck Kwong.

“Rp 6.5 billion. Right. Certainly 6.5 billion. I’m counting down. Once again, all these funds will be used for humanitarian aid for underprivileged communities, particularly those of Chinese-Indonesian descent. Rp 6.5 billion from Dato Low of Bayan Resources. 3, 2, 1, we close. Congratulations Dato Low,” said Ossy Dermawan, Chairman of the Democrat Party’s BPOKK, whilst conducting the auction at Djakarta Theatre, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (18 February 2026).

A representative of Low Tuck Kwong then symbolically received the painting, which was presented by Democrat Party Chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY).

AHY then explained the significance of the painting, which was created with a spirit of transformation for an increasingly peaceful Indonesia.

“Specially to celebrate this Lunar New Year moment in the Year of the Fire Horse, he created a Fire Horse painting whose spirit embodies energy, strength, hard work, and transformation — which we wish to bring to an ever more progressive Indonesia, wrapped in peace and beauty,” he said.

AHY explained that SBY’s paintings were not only created for Lunar New Year but also during the Sumatra disaster. He affirmed that the auction proceeds were intended to help the public.

“But this is once again not the first time, because it can be said that when the disaster struck in Sumatra, President SBY also held an auction and once again all the auction proceeds went towards helping the public,” he said.

AHY stressed that the fire horse painting was created as a gesture of compassion. The painting was made for underprivileged communities and disaster-affected populations, particularly those of Chinese-Indonesian descent.

“So he then turned the painting into a gesture of compassion, because the auction proceeds will go entirely towards humanitarian aid, to help our fellow citizens in need — underprivileged communities, including those affected in disaster areas, particularly those of Chinese-Indonesian descent,” AHY said.