Otto Djaya

After time fighting with the People's Security Army in the Indonesian National Revolution, Otto was dispatched with Agus to the Netherlands, where they exhibited Indonesian art. Djaya returned to Indonesia in 1950, and after marriage he focused more on raising his family moved than on his art. In the 1990s, Djaya began to dedicate himself to painting, holding exhibitions in Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Noted for his impressionist influences, Djaya's style has been described as replete with humour, with particular emphasis given to his human figures and depictions of everyday life in Indonesia. Several posthumous exhibitions have featured his works, including at the National Gallery of Indonesia in Jakarta and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. However, in histories of Indonesian art, Djaya has been less prominent than his brother and their contemporary S.

• Name — Otto Djajasoentara • Born — 6 October 1916 • Birthplace — Rangkasbitung, Banten, Dutch East Indies • Died — 23 June 2002 • Style — Impressionism • Relatives — Agus Djaya (brother)

Djaya was born in Rangkasbitung, Banten, in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) on 6 October 1916. His father was a civil servant descended from the aristocracy, and had served as the district chief of Pandeglang. This enabled Otto and his elder brother Agus Djaya to receive an education at Dutch-run schools and learn several European languages. Otto graduated from secondary school in 1936. Otto took up painting, learning from Agus, who had studied art in the Indies and the Netherlands. He joined the Indonesian Painters Association (PERSAGI), which Agus had co-founded with S. Sudjojono, and began studying under Sudjojono. During this period, Djaya and his contemporaries had difficulty selling their works, as the colonial market was dominated by depictions of beautiful landscapes. During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies of 19421945, Djaya joined the Cultural Centre, where Agus led the arts division. He also received military training, and joined the Japanese-established Defenders of the Homeland. After Indonesia proclaimed its independence on 17 August 1945, Otto joined the Third Division of the Sukabumi Regiment, People's Security Army, with Agus. During the ensuing national revolution, he rose to the rank of major. Between February and March 1947, Otto held a joint exhibition with Agus in Jakarta. Having received a Malino scholarship, the brothers subsequently departed for Amsterdam aboard the steamboat Nieuw Holland. They took with them more than a hundred artworksfrom paintings to divination booksfor exhibition in Europe. Staying mostly in the Netherlands, the brothers established networks with Dutch residents who supported Indonesian independence while also studying art at the Rijksakademie and journalism at Gemeente Universiteit (now the University of Amsterdam). The brothers also held several exhibitions while in Europe. These included three in Amsterdamat the Stedelijk Museum (1947), Indisch Museum (now the Wereldmuseum, 19471948), and the Kunstzaal Van Lieras well as The Hague, Dordrecht, Paris, and Monaco. They also received prizes for their artistic works, and accessed numerous arts magazines that expanded their horizons. In a 2002 discussion with the curator Amir Sidharta, Otto Djaya stated that the brothers had also been tasked by President Sukarno to spy on the Dutch during their scholarship. The brothers returned to Indonesia in 1950, with Otto establishing a studio in Jakarta. In 1952, after marriage, he moved to Semarang, where he worked at a printing house to support his family. He later moved to Yogyakarta, where he managed a hotel. Focusing on these activities, he had little time for painting, and productivity decreased. Nevertheless, he continued to exhibit, showing several paintings at a barbershop in Semarang and holding a solo exhibition at Ismail Marzuki Park from 9 to 14 January 1978. In the early 1990s, Djaya again dedicated himself to painting, though without a sponsor and having lost his earlier fame he initially experienced difficulty re-restablishing himself. This was ameliorated by financial support from President Suharto. Djaya exhibited at the National Gallery of Indonesia in 1995. In 1999, he held solo exhibitions in Yogyakarta, where he displayed 35 new works, as well as Legong Fine Art in Jakarta. Djaya died on 23 June 2002 in Depok, West Java, where he had lived with his children and a nurse.