Portrait of Nasirun; Artist

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:

"Nasirun loves wayang stories and he often uses wayang themes in his work. He had made an installation of wayang horses around the time of this shoot, and I had him pose like a rock-star warrior with his wayang horses because to me an artist who persists with traditional themes is like a warrior working against contemporary art trends."

A painting by Nasirun, titled Chair of the Punakawan (2008), is also part of the SMU Art Collection.