Heriyanto, Pioneer of Fine Arts Shows

With the many fine arts exhibitions he organized, Heriyanto became more popular after launching Jogja Art Fair #1 at the Yogyakarta Arts Festival 2008. It was the embryo of the annual Artjog 2010 in Yogyakarta,

KOMPAS/NAWA TUNGGAL

Heriyanto

The title of the Pioneer of Fine Arts Shows was granted to Heriyanto, 46, at the 2022 Indonesian Cultural Appreciation Night. The man intimately called Heri Pemad maintains the credo that crazy paths lead to sanity: “Yen ora edan, ora waras.”

This Javanese expression implies that unless you are crazy, you are insane. It is a metaphor for Heri Pemad in responding to contemporary fine arts and presenting them as art events to the public.

He pursues craziness as a situation beyond what is normal, but it offers benefits with its elements of novelty and surprise. For Heri, making fine arts even closer to the public so as to be properly accepted constitutes his contribution to the advancement of civilization. Craziness is something important to Heri. His intimate name Pemad in the colloquial language of Yogyakarta means crazy or insane.

He earned the title of the Pioneer of Fine Arts Shows from the Directorate General of the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry, in Jakarta on Friday (9/12/2022). Besides Heri, there were recipients of other awards for arts.

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With the many fine arts exhibitions he organized, Heri became more popular after launching Jogja Art Fair #1 at the Yogyakarta Arts Festival 2008. It was the embryo of the annual Artjog (starting in 2010) in Yogyakarta, which has been held up to the present.

As a fine arts fair, Artjog has the special feature of directly connecting artists with the public. In Indonesia and many other countries, such fairs always present galleries as representatives of artists.

At Jogja Art Fair #1, 450 paintings of 135 artists were displayed in turns every week. This agenda lasted for approximately a month along with the Yogyakarta Arts Festival. The Jogja Art Fair #1 exhibition became a sensational event. Heri also succeeded in developing the program into Art Bali (2018). The latest event was Art Ina at the end of 2022 at Sarinah.

As a fine arts fair, Artjog has the special feature of directly connecting artists with the public.

Several days after being awarded, Heri related his activities leading to fine arts shows. He began recounting his childhood in Sukoharjo and his nickname Pemad, which at first he was deceitfully told meant apikan or a well-behaved man. In fact, it means crazy with the connotation of being insane.

His biological mother died about three months after his birth. Then he was taken care of by his grandfather, a farmer in Sukoharjo. Three years later, his father remarried and has since remained in Banten.

As a child, Heri had a hearing impairment so he had to use a hearing aid, which he still uses up to the present. In elementary school, he was known for his drawing skill.

In junior and senior high school, Heri found no more drawing lessons. He was impressed when in senior high school (SMA) he discovered a history book mentioning the names of three great painters, Affandi, Basoeki Abdullah and Salvador Dali. After graduating from SMA he became interested in studying at the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta.

KOMPAS/NAWA TUNGGAL

Heriyanto

Winding road

As a 1994 SMA graduate in Sukoharjo, Heri left for Yogyakarta to enroll at ISI Yogyakarta. He signed up to study at the YKPN Architecture College in the city. However, Heri failed and was unwilling to return to Sukoharjo. “At the time, I told my grandpa I was taking a course in Yogyakarta. Actually, I was loafing around and trying to get better acquainted with the fine arts world in Yogyakarta,” said Heri.

His interest to study as he desired in Yogyakarta was supported by his grandfather. Meanwhile, his father did not approve his intention to study painting.

Heri was accepted at ISI Yogyakarta after his third entrance test in 1996. He had once followed a course under realist painter Wahyu Santosa who lived in Terban, Yogyakarta. “From the painting course I began to learn how to make a canvas and canvas wooden frames,” said Heri.

As an ISI student, he started painting with large canvases during the night time. Heri was known to be helpful to village residents. Eventually, many young people frequently accompanied him while painting. Each of his paintings was signed with the name “Heri.” Some of the youth gave him the nickname “Pemad.”

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Sadly, in 2000 Heri left ISI. “I felt the science had been fully derived from lectures and finally I withdrew,” revealed Heri.

Heri chose to paint and display his works until they were sold out. In the period of 2000-2008 there were many events he deemed important, so he decided to get more involved in the promotion of fine arts exhibitions. He is persevering, persistent, steadfast and supportive toward artists. These four traits are inherent in him.

His ways of displaying works of fine arts at exhibitions have also attracted world attention. He was invited to make a presentation of his management of arts in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, in 2008.

In 2018, Heri was requested to join the steering committee of the Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. He was also asked to be a member of the steering team for the designation of special features of Yogyakarta and a guest lecturer of arts management at ISI Yogyakarta.

“I failed in my studies, but I was still asked to give lectures,” Heri jokingly said.

Heri Pemad has been walking a rough winding road throughout his life. Nevertheless, he keeps responding to his journey with smiles and laughter. This may be the character of a pioneer.

Heriyanto

Born: Sukoharjo, Central Java, 12 April 1976

Education:

- 1996-2000: Pure Arts Department, Painting Program, ISI Yogyakarta (unfinished)

Occupation:

- Artistic Director, Jogja Art Fair/Artjog (2008-present)

- Member, Yogyakarta Provincial Cultural Council (2019-2022)

- Artistic Director, Art District Exhibition, Sarinah, Jakarta (2022)

- Artistic Director, Art Ina, Sarinah, Jakarta (2022-2023)

Achievements:

- Best Water Color Award, ISI Yogyakarta (1997)

- Nokia Art Award Asia Pacific (1999)

- Adhikarya Art Award 2014, Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.