Mochtar Apin (23.Des.1923–01.Jan.1994) was an accomplished
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n painter and tenured lecturer.
He was co-founder of the Arena of Independent Artists movement (Gelanggang Seniman Muda ) in Jakarta in 1946, and a member of the
Bandung Institute of Technology
The Bandung Institute of Technology ( id, Institut Teknologi Bandung, abbreviated as ITB) is a national research university located in Bandung, Indonesia. Since its establishment in 1920, ITB has been consistently recognized as Indonesia's premi ...
. Alongside other painters, intellectuals and poets, he advocated a universalist ideal for culture, advocating the creation of art concerns that could communicate to people of all backgrounds.
[Chronological Biography of Mochtar Apin, by Jim Supangkat, 18.April 201]
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Life
In 1948, Apin enrolled at the Technical Faculty, Universitas Indonesia (renamed as Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) in 1959) where he became a student of Ries Mulder, one of the founders of the school. In 1951 he visitied The Netherlands on a scholarship to study at the Kunstnijverheidsschool Quellinus. Later in 1953 he enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, the Fine Arts School in Paris. During these years, Mochtar took the initiative travelling around Europe, looking at art and visiting museums. Apin was a great admirer of the optical art of Victor Vasarely
Victor Vasarely (; born Győző Vásárhelyi, ; 9 April 1906 – 15 March 1997) was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op art movement.
His work entitled ''Zebra'', created in 1937, is consid ...
, having lived for several years in France. His geometric paintings from this period are related to the graphic work of Vasarely.
With these experiences, Mochtar was well equipped to debate on the role of art in Indonesia.
Mochtar returned to Bandung in 1958 and joined the teaching staff of his former Faculty one year prior to the departure of Ries Mulder. His last retrospective in 1988 was held in Bandung and Jakarta, four years after he received tenure as professor at the ITB.[Biografi Mochtar Apin](_blank)
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In 1960, Mochtar married Sien Mochtar Apin, and the couple had three daughters, Karina, Arleti and Marella Mochtar Apin.
Works and Exhibitions
* Solo Exhibition in Amsterdam and Den Haag in 1953[Pameran Lukisan Seniman Bandung Jawa Barat. 21-28 Des. 1886, Direktorat Kesenian Direktorat Jendral Kebusayaan DEPDIKBUD, hlm 20]
* Cubism in Asia: Unbounded Dialogues organised by the Japan Foundation in 2004
Awards
* Scholarship from the Indonesian government to study at the cole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France (1953-1957)
See also
* Abdul Djalil Pirous
* Ahmad Sadali
* I Nyoman Masriadi
* Ries Mulder
* Umi Dachlan
Umi Dachlan, born Umajah Dachlan, (13 August 1942 - 1 January 2009), was a pioneering Indonesian painter and an art lecturer. She graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology ITB in 1968 as the third f ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apin, Mochtar
1923 births
1994 deaths
20th-century Indonesian painters
Abstract expressionist artists
Academic staff of Bandung Institute of Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology alumni