Frame size: 165 x 241 cm
Born in Kutoarjo, Central Java, Widayat was an officer in the Indonesian army during the Revolution and had been actively involved in making anti-Dutch propaganda posters and organising dramatic performances to garner nationalistic support. Studying at the Academy of Fine Arts of Indonesia in Yogyajarta, Widayat was a student of Hendra Gunawan. He went on to teach, until his retirement in the 1980s. Widayat is best known for his “magic-decorative” style, through the use of decorative elements, and mystical imageries and symbolism associated with Javanese tradition.Better known for his paintings of flora and fauna done in a highly decorative style, “Vietnamese Refugees” is a sensitive observation of the plight of displaced peoples. Widayat’s sympathies are clearly with the Vietnamese, forced to leave a country they cannot remain in for an uncertain future in faraway lands.
