Subandi Giyanto

born in Yogyakarta, 1958.

Subandi Giyanto’s paintings “contaminate” the real with the mythical. Horses, objects, and familiar forms become overlaid, almost tattooed, with wayang figures and ornaments, their original shapes gradually dissolving beneath a tide of finely detailed puppets. As a child, Subandi learned the art of shadow puppetry from his father, Giyanto Wiguno. During his studies at the Indonesian School of Fine Arts and the Teacher Training and Education Institute (IKIP) Yogyakarta, he began translating wayang carvings into painted forms while experimenting with glass painting. These visual experiments form part of a broader effort to preserve traditional arts by reimagining them in contemporary contexts. Since the late 1970s, he has pursued this path with persistence, engaging in numerous group exhibitions and joining artist collectives such as Sanggar Bambu, Rumpun 81, Kelompok Ganksal, and Kelompok 11.

Born in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on 22 June 1958, Subandi has held solo exhibitions including "Giling Wesi (2023)" and "Nunggak Semi" at Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, and "Gambar Pitutur" at Galeri Pitoe, Yogyakarta (2005). His works have appeared in major group shows, among them ARTSUBS (2024); ARTJOG (2024); Yogya Annual Art at Bale Banjar Sangkring, Yogyakarta (2024); "Seni Agawe Santosa" at Gallery Semarang (2023); and the National Cultural Week, Jakarta (2020). His paintings, glass works, and sculptures now form part of private collections in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, and South Korea, an enduring testament to his ability to carry the soul of wayang into contemporary art.