Basoeki Abdullah and Contemporary Indonesian Art | Panel Discussion

Sally Texania

Sally Texania is an independent curator based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her curatorial practice is shaped by extensive experience in private and public art institutions. She has held key curatorial roles, including Head of Museum at Ciputra Artpreneur (2014–2016) and Curator at Museum MACAN (2021–2023). Since 2017, she has been involved in curatorial and collection research for the Indonesian Presidential Palace, resulting in several exhibitions such as Senandung Ibu Pertiwi (2018) and Indonesia Semangat Dunia (2019), and publications including Indonesia Jelita (2023) and The Presidential Palace Art Collection Catalogue (2022–2024). Notable curatorial projects include Mutual Unknown, CuratorsLAB–Goethe-Institut (2017), MSRK Permanent Collection New Narrative (2019–present), and ESOK, Jakarta Biennale (2021).

Gie Sanjaya

Gie Sanjaya is an independent curator focusing on interdisciplinary art, cultural engagement, and educational initiatives. She holds a Master of Fine Arts Education in Curatorial and Arts Management from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Her curatorial projects include Self-reliant (Art District x Sarinah, 2022), Facing Tomorrow (Basoeki Abdullah Museum, 2023), and the Kids Biennale Growing Without Fear (National Gallery of Indonesia, 2025). Her practice explores intersections between contemporary art, psychology, and social change, emphasizing how creative expression fosters dialogue, critical thinking, and community. Sanjaya is dedicated to youth- and child-centered projects, collaborations with emerging artists, and developing interdisciplinary approaches that challenge conventional narratives and open new possibilities for artistic engagement.

About the Exhibition

Diplomacy and Desire: Basoeki Abdullah in Singapore

Basoeki Abdullah's luminous portraits of political figures and attractive women made him one of Southeast Asia's most sought-after painters. The exhibition showcases two significant paintings that the artist donated to Singapore: Labour (gifted to Singapore City Council in 1959) and Struggle for the Re-establishment of the Democracy and the Right for the People (gifted to the National Museum Art Gallery in 1981). Centring on these works, the exhibition explores how this exemplary Southeast Asian artist navigated high society and was attuned to the “geopoetic” value of his artwork.

Once described as "the Rembrandt of the East," Basoeki (1915‒1993) achieved international fame when he won an art contest held for the coronation of Queen Juliana of Amsterdam in 1948. His artworks can be found in national collections across Southeast Asia. The exhibition invites us to consider the “power” of art in postcolonial Southeast Asia and to see this prominent portraitist anew.