WAHDI SUMANTA INDONESIAN 
SCENERY PAINTER

           

Parahiyangan  is a part of West Java. Hills, rice fields, karst limestone, valleys and  beaches spread everywhere. These sceneries inspired Wahdi Sumanta, a painter of Sunda  dominant tribe of West Java to  memorize and record it in the form of paintings. He observed his subject very thoroughly.

In 1994 Galeri Hidayat of  Sulanjana Street 36 Bandung exhibited Wahdi’s paintings.

Wahdi was born in Bandung in 1917. Since he was still in the elementary school (HIS) he has shown of his talent, and the principal of the school was interested in his good childish beautiful drawing. After Wahdi finished his school, the principal  financed Wahdi to learn to paint from a famed painter Abdullah Soerjosoebroto, the father of Basuki Abdullah, who later is also a painter.

Wahdi’s paintings are much influenced by his teacher. Wahdi is about the same age with Affandi, Barli, Hendra and Sudarso, another well known Indonesian artists. 
In 1934 Wahdi exhibited his paintings in Bandung regency building and in 1944 at the Bandung Town Square. In 1974 as suggested by Affandi, Wahdi made a sole exhibition at Balai Budaya, Jakarta. In 1975 Wahdi, Affandi, Barli and Sudarso made a join exhibition at Sanggar Sangkuriang in Bandung.  

In 1978 writer Ayip Rosidi sponsored Wahdi to make a reunion exhibition with Affandi, Barli, Sudarso and Hendra at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta.

At the 15-25 October 1994 exhibition at the Hidayat Gallery brochures were sold. Paintings shown here are from that brochure. Wahdi is a great Indonesian painter.

Sardjono Angudi 
jongki.angudi@gmail.com

07/2012.

                                                 Picture 1: Pura Batu Bolong, Bali, 1988

                                                Picture 2: The beach of Cihara, W. Java, 1976

                                                Picture 3: Mount Masigit, Bandung, 1984

                                          Picture 4: Tagog Apu, Padalarang, Bandung, 1974

                                              Picture 5: Mount Manglayang, Bandung, W. Java, 1967

                                                  Picture 6: Neglasari, Garut, W. Java, 1980

                                             Picture 7: Mount Tampomas, W. Java, 1988

                                                 Picture 8: Mount Sumbing, C. Java, 1994

                                                Picture9: Evening at Cikurutug, 1994.