Zaini

1926 – 1977

Zaini was a prolific Indonesian painter known for his abstract expressionist style. He studied under masters such as Basuki Abdullah, S. Sudjojono, and Affandi during the Japanese occupation, and earlier learned the basics of painting from Wakidi at INS Kayutanam in West Sumatra. Moving to Yogyakarta in 1945, he joined the Sanggar Seniman Masyarakat and later co-founded the Indonesian Arts and Design Foundation and Galeri Merdeka in Jakarta.

He was also a signatory of the Cultural Manifesto (1963), co-founder of the literary magazine Horison (1966), and served on the Visual Arts Committee of the Jakarta Arts Council from 1969 to 1977. Zaini’s first solo exhibition was held at Taman Ismail Marzuki (1969), and he represented Indonesia at the UN’s 25th anniversary exhibition in New York (1970).