Footsteps of Resistance: “The President of 2001” | A Tribute to Hardi (1951-2023) at Galeri Nasional Indonesia

Courtesy of the family of KP Hardi Danuwijoyo.

Footsteps of Resistance
The President of 2001

A Tribute to Hardi (1951-2023)

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VISIT HARDI’S WEBSITE

A dedication to Hardi by Steven G. Alpert

I knew Hardi for more than fifty years as a gifted artist, probing mind, social activist, and a person who embodied a respect for Indonesia's five founding and guiding principles of Pancasila.

My association with Mas Hardi came via his paintbrush, wide-ranging curiosity, and a level of thoughtfulness, one that is reflected in his portraits and landscapes — in nearly everything he did. Indeed, he was a man well-fed by his roots. Hardi became a pivotal voice within a new generation of socially-minded artists (New Art Movement: Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru) that emerged in the 1970s in Indonesia.

We shared many long days and nights where we were enthusiastically engaged in the 'art' of life, the Bengkel theater, interactions with W.S. Rendra, the charismatic poet and playwright living at the time in Yogyakarta, and with martial arts (Persatuan Gerak Badan Bangau Putih) as taught at the time in Bogor by the incomparable and legendary Bapak Subur Rahardja. As friends, we were bound by movement, poetry, and respect for the indescribably rich cultural landscape of a land comprising more than 17,000 islands.

Looking back, I realize today that I have known Indonesians born over the span of three centuries. At one point, I did not return to the most powerful and character-building country of my youth for twenty years. Returning in 2010-2013, while working on research for a book project, I went to my old friend's house. What a reunion. Initially, we sat there on mats, just quietly beaming and appreciating the moment. Hardi suddenly requested paper and his brushes.

Without looking down at the paper, he painted my likeness with the speed and agility of a tiger expending himself after a period of stillness. He was finished in just two or three minutes. "Welcome home." His arc of talent, connecting with humanness and deep meaning with others never changed. It is a great pleasure to see my old compadre being honored by the Galeri Nasional and to share a sliver of Hardi's life, vision, and art on our site.