Born 17 August 1968, Bandung

English

Rahmat Jabaril is a Bandung artist/activist with little formal training as an artist. He studied for about 3 months with Ida Bagus Made in Bali and has been especially influenced by the works of Hendra Gunawan, Marc Chagall and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Beginning at the age of 15, he became an activist for the poor and politically oppressed. This found its apex during the Jakarta and Bandung street demonstrations of 1997-1999. He is also locally involved in discussions and programs aimed at improving the conditions of his neighbors, low-paid worker in a rattan factory closeby. His involvement as a political activist is apparent in many of his works.

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Rahmat Jabaril's dark and brooding canvases offer snapshots of actual events that have taken place in West Java during the past two years. Painted quickly with a pallet of ice whites, blue and black his expressive brushwork depicts demonstrations and riots he attended. Rahmat's paintings leave the viewer with the sensation that one had also observed the ominous scene at hand from an adjacent hillside through the lens of a camera blurring as drops of rain run across it.

Rahmat Jabaril, born on August 17, 1968, (Indonesian Independence Day) in Bandung, is an activist as well as a self-taught street artist. He belongs to the street artist group Gerbong (Train Carriage) in Bandung and actively involves himself with the student and peasant movement in West Java.

Rahmat's dark and brooding canvases offer snapshots of actual events that have taken place in West Java during the past two years. Painted quickly with a pallet of ice whites, blue and black his expressive brushwork depicts demonstrations and riots he attended. Rahmat's paintings leave one with the sensation that one has also observed the ominous scenes at hand from an adjacent hillside through the lens of a camera blurring as drops of rain run across it.

Bahasa Indonesia

Rahmat Jabaril. Lahir di Bandung, tepatnya tanggal 17 Agustus 1968 (17 August Indonesian independence day) Dia anak kedua dari empat bersaudara. Dia dibangun dari keluarga Nasionalis dan keluarga ahli tarikat (Islamic Spritulization) Dan karena faktor kejujuran dan idealisme yang kuat akhirnya Bapaknya harus meninggal tekanan politik koncoisme Orde Baru. Dan waktu itu rahmat jabaril baru berusia empat tahun.

Akibat kematian Bapaknya, keluarganya harus berjuang menjalani hidup. Begitu pun dengan Rahmat sendiri.

Karena sejak kecil suka mengarang, bercerita lewat gambar, akhirnya ia bisa membiayai kehidupan sekolahnya. Dan beberapa lomba menggambar disekolahnya ia raih dengan kemenangan yang bahagia.

SD (sekolah dasar) SMP (Sekolah menengah pertama) dan SMA (sekolah menengah atas/ high school) yang tidak selesai, akibat kesukaannya pada dunia politik dan spiritual, serta dunia kesenian. Maka sekolah formal diatas tidak ditempuh dengan baik. Maka akhirnya dia lebih banyak bergaul dan bergabung dengan tokoh-tokoh seniman, politikus dan ahli spritual. Juga dia aktif dibeberapa institusi kesenian yang ada seperti ITB, UNPAD, IKJ,STSI, IKIP, etc. Dan tempat-tempat itu ia jadikan terminal dialognya untuk mengungkapkan keresahan-keresahan akan perkembangan kesenian dan kebudayaannya.

Juga rahmat sering mengajak dan mengadakan dengan teman-temanya berupa gerakan-gerakan kebudayaan, seperti : Gerakan Seni untuk Reformasi (sebuah gerakan senirupa dalam keranda politik), juga dia menggagas gerakan kesenian GERBONG BAWAH TANAH, dan sejak tahun 1988 sampai sekarang, ia banyak sekali melakukan pameran di kota-kota di Indonesia (baik tunggal maupun bersama), dan beberapa di luar Indonesia, maka karya-karyanya telah menyebar di beberapa negara seperti Jepang, Singapore, Italia, Austalia, Canada, German, Thailand, Amerika,etc.

Well, begitulah informasi yang dapat kami sampaikan pada saat ini, kami juga sangat berharap, kami dapat memberikan informasi yang lebih luas dan terperinci. Terima kasih.

Compiled by
Moch. S. Nief
Center for Art Studies, Bandung

Recent exhibition at the CCF (French Cultural Insitute), Bandung, August 2007.