Islamic art principles and modern Indonesian art.

According to Agus Priyatno, a lecturer in Art at the State University of Medan (Unimed), Indonesian culture is currently being torn in two directions, with two competing influences, Islamization or Islamification, and westernisation or occidentalization.

Out of this competition three strains of culture have emerged, one based on Islam, one based on western culture, and one a hybrid or mixture of the two. He does not mention “indigenous”, or non Islam-based Indonesian culture/s.

The hybrid form comes about because there are aspects of Islam and western culture which are not in contradiction, and the resulting mix of the two produces innovative and creative expressions, most often seen in the worlds of modern art, architecture, fashion, and lifestyle.

Priyatno is most interested in the Islamic side of the hybrid and says that the elements of Islam which are expressed in modern art, particularly since the 1960’s, are depictions of people praying, or going on the Hajj, or art based on stories of the prophets, or Quranic verses.

Modern art which presents these elements of Islam is based on modern calligraphy and abstract and representational painting.

Priyatno recommends that the government establish an Islamic art curriculum for schools of higher learning, and also a dedicated Islamic art university which can teach Islamic principles in art and satisfy the demands of Indonesian Muslims for Islam-based art. suaramerdeka