Portrait of Des Alwi; Diplomat historian and film maker

Credit Line: Gift of the Artist 2012, Collection of SMU

Indra Leonardi is one of Indonesia's leading portrait photographers. In November 2012, he had his first solo exhibition in Singapore titled "Bits of Me – Portraits by Indra Leonardi" at de Suantio Gallery. He exhibited a series titled ‘Indonesian Portraits', which he has been working on since the 1990s. The series is a testament to both the photographer's craft and his sensitivity to his sitters. It features Indonesian thinkers, artists, business leaders and statesmen, and can be viewed at the Administration Building and Office of Core Curriculum.

On the exhibition caption for the artwork, Indra Leonardi says of the portrait:

"Des Alwi's office was filled with film reels. I persuaded him to run an old documentary he had made on Indonesia's struggle for independence, and had him pose in front of the projector."