Indonesia

Artist: Trinawangwulan Sudarga

* 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia

1977 – 1982 Studies at the Academy of Arts “ASRI (ISI)“ in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

1987 – 1988 Postgraduate studies in Art History at the University of Cologne

Since 1978, he has participated in single- and group exhibitions in Indonesia, Thailand, Germany and Turkey on a regular basis. He has received a number of awards in Indonesia. Since 1984, he has appeared in numerous performances with traditional dance and music in Europe and in North Africa.

Interpretation

Semar

Semar is the court jester of the Javanese and Balinese performance of Wayang, probably the most popular form of theatre in Java and Bali, where stories of Gods are performed as puppet-, shadow- or dance shows.

Semar impersonates the good. His followers are friendly people and he has won the respect and the favour of his audience. He is the mediator in dialogues, the jester, but he also criticises and gives advice. He entertains, educates, advises and protects the king. For the audience, Semar is a role model. As a human incarnation of a God, he is also a cryptic figure: God and human servant at the same time, neither man nor woman, looking like a clown his fat belly, his knobbly nose and his drooping lower lip, deep inside being pure, with a good heart and clever.

Trinawangwulan Sudarga

Sponsor: Botschaft der Republik Indonesien