Kustiyah (1935–2012) studied at the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI) during the period 1953–1956. Her body of work includes paintings, drawings, woodcuts and busts, spanning from 1954 to 2006. She was often portrayed by other painters. One of her works is even part of the Galeri Nasional Indonesia’s (National Gallery of Indonesia) collection, but it was only when we met Akmalia Rizqita ’Chita’, Grace Samboh and Ratna Mufida, who have been researching Kustiyah since 2016, that we heard about the artist. Years have gone by, yet they are still unravelling the stories around her lifelong artistic practice. As her name was still unfamiliar to us, we began to ask “Who is Kustiyah?” This question continued and eventually we got to know more about her and Kustiyah, et al.’s research trajectory.

Still from Ary “Jimged” Sendy, M. Revaldi, Prima Rusdi, and Hyphen— (Akmalia Rizqita “Chita”, Grace Samboh, Ratna Mufida), Di belakang kanvas [At the back of the canvas], 2022, HD video, colour, sound, with English subtitles, 33 min 32 sec © Courtesy Hyphen—

Portraits of Kustiyah in the living room area of the residence in Griya Seni Hj, Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso. Artworks in photo from left to right: Gregorius Sidharta Soegijo, Kustijah, 1955, 49 x 60 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso; Sutopo, Kustijah, 1961, 49 x 69 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso © Courtesy Hyphen—

Hyphen— (Akmalia Rizqita “Chita”, Grace Samboh, Ratna Mufida), As if there is no sun, exhibition view from as part of 58th Carnegie International: Is it morning for you yet?, curated by Sohrab Mohebbi and associate curator Ryan Inouye with curatorial assistant Talia Heiman at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 24, 2022–April 2, 2023, photo: M. Revaldi. Artworks in photo: (left) Siti Ruliyati, Pasar burung [Bird market], 1965, oil on canvas, 62 x 92 cm, Galeri Nasional Indonesia [National Gallery of Indonesia]; (top middle) Kustiyah, Torso, 1960, oil on canvas, 68 x 86 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso; (middle) Kartika, Anjing dan anak-anaknya [A dog and its puppy], 1961, oil on canvas, 65 x 85 cm, Museum Affandi; (right) Kustiyah, Kambing hitam [Black goat], 1969, oil on canvas, 81 x 111 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso © Courtesy Hyphen—

This trajectory began when Chita, Grace and Ratna were unpacking and reorganising the archives of sculptor Edhi Sunarso (1932–2016) at Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso [Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso Art House] in 2016. Edhi Sunarso was Kustiyah’s husband, who made this place a home for her work. The house is located in Yogyakarta, where Edhi Sunarso lived until the end of his life. At the time of Chita, Grace and Ratna’s visit in 2016, they took pictures of all Kustiyah’s paintings hung on the second floor. However, apart from her life with Edhi Sunarso, not much was known about the artist’s background, or whether her works had been exhibited elsewhere.

Portrait of Kustiyah with her self-portrait titled Kustiyah, 1979, Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics, Jakarta, image scanned and archived from the collection of Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso, Yogyakarta, Indonesia © Courtesy Hyphen—

Exhibition view from Hyphen—’s (Akmalia Rizqita “Chita”, Grace Samboh, Ratna Mufida) exhibition As if there is no sun as part of 58th Carnegie International: Is it morning for you yet?, at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 24, 2022–April 2, 2023. Artworks shown from left to right: Sudarso, Wanita Menanti [Awaiting Woman], 1982; Sudarso, Kustijah, undated; Gregorius Sidharta Soegijo, Kustijah, 1955; Edhi Sunarso, Istriku [My wife], c. 1972; unknown, Kustijah, c. 1955-1962; Siti Ruliyati, Perempuan sedang merokok [A woman smoking], 2005, photo: Sean Eaton © Courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art & Hyphen—

From left to right: Sudarso, Kustiyah, 1979; Sudarso, Kustijah, undated; Sutopo, Kustiyah, 1961; Edhi Sunarso, My Wife, 1972; Trubus, Kustijah, 1955; Gregorius Sidharta Soegijo, Kustijah, 1955; Unknown painter, Kustiyah, c. 1955–1962 © Courtesy Hyphen—

Taking as their starting point the knowledge to hand, they began their research from the portraits of Kustiyah. The portraits were classified into three categories: photographs of Kustiyah, her self-portraits, and portraits of the artist made by her peers¹. The final category opens up an interesting conversation because it concerns the works of artists who were friends with both Edhi Sunarso and Kustiyah, such as Gregorius Sidharta Soegijo (1932–2006), Sutopo (1931–), Sunarto PR (1931–2018), Sudarso (1914–2006) and Trubus Soedarsono (1926–1966).

Kustiyah, Kawanku [My friend], undated, sculpture, image from Dan Suwaryono, “Dikitar pelukis dan pengartja wanita” in Budaya, January, 1957 © Courtesy Hyphen—

In addition to woodcut prints and portrait paintings, Kustiyah also made a bust sculpture of a female figure, entitled Kawanku [My friend, 1956]. Although the woman portrayed in the bust has not yet been identified, Kustiyah, et al. listed a number of female artist names whose lives and works intertwined with Kustiyah: Siti Ruliyati (1930–2023), Sriyani Hudyonoto (1930–2006) and Kartika (née Affandi, 1934–). They lived in the same era, during which there were not as many female artists as there are now, and shared similar struggles. This intersection then became the focus of the research: tracing Kustiyah’s artistic practice through her life and her connections with fellow painters. Kustiyah, et al. then grew into a research group studying friendship, solidarity and humanity.

‘Et al.’ is Latin for ‘and others’ – not exactly the same, but undeniably similar to the name of Hyphen—’s other research group, Danarto dkk. [dkk. is an abbreviation for ‘dan kawan-kawan’ which translates to ‘and friends’: thus Danarto and friends] which traces the life and work of writer and artist Danarto (1940–2018). Both use the name of one person (Kustiyah and Danarto) and add their circle (by using ‘et al.’ for Kustiyah, and ‘and friends’ for Danarto) as part of the research trajectory. The similar approaches stimulate our curiosity. Why is Hyphen— (or why are we) so interested in the dynamics of friendship, both as subject and object? Why does friendship matter to our research studies?

In Danarto and friends, the practice of involving friends takes the form of inviting others to nurture Danarto’s thoughts in various artistic practices. Departing from readings of his life and works, we expanded the conversation by reproducing his works, making new works and carrying out other experiments related to Danarto. In 2021 an exhibition of Danarto’s archives and works entitled Taman Bacaan Danarto [Danarto Reading Park] in Yogyakarta became a space to meet and create new works sparked by Danarto’s work. At that time, a band called Nayamullah was born. The band, which has no strict members because anyone can join, practices Danarto’s concept of ‘theatre without spectators’. By doing it this way, projects such as Taman Bacaan Danarto and Nayamullah are able to grow into spaces where we get to make new friends and nourish our previously established friendships through articulating Danarto’s works together.

‘Et al.’ in Kustiyah, et al. is an important locus. Kustiyah, et al. made it a point that to tell a story about Kustiyah is not to solely focus on her works and biography. The researchers took seriously the significance of her surroundings or ‘social environment’ and how it impacted her life and her work. Articulations of this approach can be seen in two Kustiyah, et al. exhibitions entitled As if there is no sun at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh and Seakan-akan tidak ada matahari [As if there is no sun] at the National Gallery in Jakarta. Both exhibitions not only presented Kustiyah’s works, but also artists of her time: thirty-eight paintings from nine artists in As if there is no sun and fifty-four paintings from twelve artists in Seakan-akan tidak ada matahari. This constellation of works laid out a map of relationships, linkages and influences.

Excerpted from Kustiyah, et al., “Image exercise document”. Artworks in image: Kustiyah, Udang [Shrimp], 1975, oil on canvas, 84 x 95 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso; Kartika, Kampung di Jepang [Village in Japan], 1970, acrylic on canvas, 78 x 98 cm, Museum Affandi; Kustiyah, Ngaben [Cremation ceremony], 1968, oil on canvas, 87 x 98 cm, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso; Siti Ruliyati, Pasar burung [Bird market], 1965, Oil on canvas, 62 x 92 cm, Galeri Nasional Indonesia; Rustamadji, Pohon nangka [Jackfruit tree], 1985, oil on canvas, 80 x 110 cm, Galeri Nasional Indonesia; Sriyani Hudyonoto, Durian, 1967, ink on paper, 41 x 49 cm, Galeri Nasional Indonesia; Sudarso, Wanita menanti [Woman waiting],1982, oil on canvas, 80 x 120 cm, Galeri Nasional Indonesia © Courtesy Hyphen—

The exhibition Seakan-akan tidak ada matahari arranged works to elaborate on the environment where Kustiyah lived: a painting of shrimps laid on a banana leaf by Kustiyah, a roadside landscape of a village in Japan by Kartika, a view of Balinese Hindu cremation ceremony by Kustiyah, a bird market by Siti Ruliyati, a jackfruit tree by Rustamadji, durians by Sriyani Hudyonoto and the portrait of a woman sitting on a pumpkin with a lush field in the background by Sudarso. Siti Ruliyati was a first-year student at ASRI, just as Sriyani Hudyonoto was a first-year student at Bandung art school ITB. Kartika was Kustiyah’s neighbour in Karangwuni in the 1950s and they travelled together to Bali in 1968 to paint. Sudarso and Rustamadji (1921–2001) were members of Pelukis Rakyat² (1948–1955) alongside Affandi (1907–1990), who was Kartika’s father. These paintings together show the intersection of their lives as artists in Java at the same time.

In addition to the paintings, As if there is no sun also included an annotated bibliography entitled Tracing the Footsteps of Women Artists in Indonesia by Ruang Arsip dan Sejarah Perempuan or RUAS Indonesia (Space for Indonesian Women Archives and Herstory)³. This annotated bibliography was commissioned by Hyphen—, knowing that RUAS Indonesia has been working to archive the history of the women’s movement since 2020. Through sharing resources, this work made possible a collection of references to sixteen women in literature, dance and other art forms during the period 1940–1970. This showed that there were many more artists around Kustiyah and her friends whose work may have intersected.

This exploration around an artist and their friends made us realise that as a method, it can endlessly enrich our research both in Kustiyah, et al. and Danarto dkk. As we have learnt to acknowledge in our own practice, there is barely any work of art that is solitary. Art, both in history and in our practice today, becomes an infinity when viewed from the artist’s network, particularly when it is looked at through their dynamics of friendship.

In Danarto dkk., the involvement of many people from various fields to explore Danarto’s work allows the research to be applied to various forms of articulation, as mentioned above. Meanwhile, in Kustiyah, et al., Chita, Grace and Ratna reveal Kustiyah amongst her peers, narrating her life and work by investigating her position amidst friends who painted her and those who did not; amongst the people around her who came from different artists’ groups that later shaped history today. Instead of looking for an answer, this research practice embraces the desire to dig deeper and further. Perhaps with this method, art history in Indonesia can reach into the dusty corners and reveal the neglected and forgotten canvases that have always been on our doorstep.