The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Abdul Djalil Pirous, usually known as A. D. Pirous, was born in 1933 in Meulaboh, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. His father was a rubber plantation owner and his mother a skilful embroiderer of gold yarn. In 1948, still a high school student, he joined student military forces fighting for independence against the Dutch. In 1955 he enrolled at the Department of Fine Art, Bandung Institute ofTechnology and at the same time joined Bandung Artists Studio founded by Kartono Yudhokusumo, father of the decorative style in Indonesia. Graduating in 1964, he became an instructor at the Department of Fine Art, Bandung Institute of Technology. In 1969 A. D. Pirous went to the United States to study printmaking and graphic design at Rochester Institute of Technology for two years and, following an exhibition of Middle East Islamic art at the New York Metropolitan Museum, began to explore Arabic calligraphy as a medium of expression in both painting and printmaking. Returning to Indonesia, he began to work as a graphic designer, and became head of the graphic design section at the Department of Fine Art at the Bandung Institute. Today he continues to work as a painter though he is better known as a printmaker. He is also recognised as an educator and pioneer of graphic design study in Indonesia. The solo exhibitions of A. D. Pirous include 'Calligraphy Painting Exhibition' (1972) and 'Calligraphic Print Exhibition' (1976) at the Chase Manhattan Bank, Jakarta and the 'One Person Show of Prints' at St Martin's School, London, England in 1986. His work has been represented in many international group exhibitions including the '8th In- ternational Exhibition of Prints', National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan, 1972; '3rd Triennale -India', New Delhi, 1975; '3rd World Biennale of Graphic Art', Iraqi Cultural Centre, London, 1980; 'Exhibition of Indonesian Painting and Print', Rotterdam Ethnological Museum, the Netherlands, 1988; and the '5th Asian International Art Exhibition', Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1990. Awards for his work include the Silver Prize, Seoul International Art Competition, 1984 and the National Art Award for Contemporary Art, Jakarta, 1985. The first major influence on A. D. Pirous was Ries Mulder, a Dutch painter and dominant figure within the Department of Fine Art at the Bandung Institute, who was a follower of synthetic cubism and much INDONESIA A. D. PIROUS influenced by French artist Jacques Villon's works. A. D. Pirous's paintings in the early 1960s were compositions of various geo- metrical shapes, which started from discern- ible objects and developed their elements in an almost musical way through repetitions, variations, contrasts and integrations. Later, his works became more abstract. Study in the United States in 1970-71 led him to etchings in which texture became a way to express antiquity. The period overseas as well as the New York exhibition of Islamic art and calligraphy awoke in him a longing for the symbolism of his cultural roots. Aceh, his birthplace, is known for its heritage of Islamic culture, including gravestone carvings and inscriptions in Arabic. An important etching made in 1970 entitled Faithful depicts a quotation from the Koran on the singleness and eternity of God, the mossy green of the background and its rough surface conveying a feeling of antiquity. The period of etchings is short, but the rediscovery of his cultural tradition was a significant turning point in his art. Since 17 When earth quakes II 1991 Modelling paste, synthetic polymer paint, gold leaf on canvas 200x150cm Collection: Private collection that time, A. D. Pirous has consistently used Arabic calligraphy as a medium of expression both in painting and printmaking. As many of his works contain quotations from the Koran, viewers might be tempted to approach his work from a conceptual or literary viewpoint. However, th~ir intrinsic qualities arise more from emotional suggestion. Growth (1985) has as its point of interest golden figures resembling Arabic writing placed vertically in the centre of the canvas, appearing to grow from the bottom of the canvas. Here, the artist seems to have animated a very ancient symbol, a commemorative monument continuously erected by Indonesian people from prehistoric times to the present. Jim Supangkat