Gunawan, Hendra (b. Bandung, Indonesia, 1918 - Denpasar, Indonesia, 1983) 
 

 

As a teenager, he painted props and scenery for a theatre group. He also studied under Wahdi. During the Japanese occupation, he taught painting at the Keimin Bunka Shidoso Cultural Centre in Jakarta and in 1947 established Pelukis Rakyat (People's Painters). Hendra taught painting and sculpture in ASRI (Indonesia Academy of Fine Arts) Yogyakarta from 1950-57. He was imprisoned in the communist purge that followed the failed coup in October 1965. He continued to paint while in prison, producing some of his best works. After his release in 1978, he established a studio on Bali. Many believed his paintings dated from the late 1950s until the 1960s period to be the best period of his works