Rusli

Rusli (1916 – 2005)  Rusli, born in Medan in 1916, was of mixed Minang and Javanese descent. Spending his formative years in Medan, he attended HIS Medan before continuing his education at MULO in Yogyakarta and later enrolling in Taman Siswa Yogyakarta. His artistic journey took him to Santiniketan University of Rabindaranath Tagore in India, where he studied pure painting, sculpture, and Eastern art philosophy for five years (1932-1939). After returning from India, Rusli taught at Taman Siswa Yogyakarta for a decade. He played a pivotal role in the “Seniman Masyarakat” (Artists’ Society) Rusli also held the position of head of art education in the Ministry of Defense’s education department and became a lecturer at the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts around 1951.