Institut Teknologi Bandung

As a tribute to the services and dedication Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous provided, ITB held a funeral procession in the East Hall, ITB Ganesha Campus, Bandung, on Wednesday (17/4/2024).

The body will be transported to Cibarunai Cemetery, Sarijadi, Bandung, at about 11:00 AM local time.

A. D. Pirous completed his education at the Department of Fine Arts at ITB in 1964. He then pursued further studies in printmaking and graphic design at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA, in 1969.

He returned to ITB in 1972 as the Head of the Graphic Design Studio at the Department of Design. Two years later, he won the best painting at the 1st Indonesian Biennale by the Jakarta Art Council.

In 1975, Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous established DECENTA or the Design Center Association in Bandung. A year later, he ranked second for the best painting at the Indonesian Biennale by the Jakarta Art Council.

He was eventually appointed the first dean of FSRD ITB in 1984 and was confirmed as Emeritus Professor at ITB since 2005.

In 1984, he won the Silver Prize at the Seoul International Art Competition by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. In 1985, he received a Certificate of Artistic Achievement from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. That same year, Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous became a Distinguished Visitor to the USA, invited by the USA Information Services.

Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous was also appointed as Indonesia's representative at the Printmaking Workshop Special Program for the 3rd Asian Art Show Contemporary Asian Prints, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan in 1989. He was also a senior lecturer at the Graduate School of Fine Arts and Design ITB, introducing new courses such as "Modern Art in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia."

In 1991, he was appointed as the Head of the Indonesian Delegation for the National Committee for the Asian International Art Exhibition. He also served as the Deputy Director of the Contemporary Art Exhibition of the Non-Aligned Countries, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, in 1994.

He was also a member of the Art University Consortium Expert Group, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, in 1985.

Prof. A. D. Pirous married Erna Garmasih, who is also an accomplished painter. Erna is also an ITB alumnus and studied in France. As information, Erna is part of the second generation of female artists in Indonesia.

Their marriage was blessed with three children: Mida Meutia, Iwan Meulia, and Raihan Muerila.

In 2003, the couple began building their dream home in Bandung, which was completed a year later. In 2017, they inaugurated the "Serambi Pirous" gallery, which serves as a place for activities, creating, and displaying their artwork.

Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous was a timeless artist in Indonesia. He had a wide range of experiences in creating artwork during the colonial period, the Old Order, the New Order, and the reform era. His works established him as a modern art renewer with an Islamic art background.

His career began in 1960. His works have been exhibited hundreds of times in national and international exhibitions.

His solo exhibitions include, among others, the Retrospective I for works from 1960-1985, at TIM in 1985 and Retrospective II for works from 1985-2002, at the National Gallery, Jakarta in 2002.

A. D. Pirous had a distinctive painting style, characterized by elaborately detailed textures and colors. His painting technique also had its own identity, involving layering colors with marble paste and a palette knife. A distinguishing feature of his exhibition was the Verses of the Universe, which focused on Pirous' style.

In 2010, modern and abstract art in Southeast Asia gained international recognition. This elevated him along with other painters like Ahmad Sadali, Fadjar Sidik, and Umi Dachlan to prominence in the international art market.

Islamic Calligraphy's Influence on the Works of Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous

One of the unique aspects of Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous's work is his incorporation of Islamic calligraphy. Besides presenting works with concepts of natural objects, landscapes, daily life, and animal figures, he also paid special attention to works related to Islamic calligraphy.

He began working with calligraphy after visiting an exhibition of Islamic ceramic fragments, ancient manuscripts, Qur'anic calligraphy, and miniature paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, in the 1960s. Seeing these objects reminded him of his hometown in Aceh, influencing his works.

Various of his paintings are displayed in the collection of the National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta. He also designed ornaments for the Bank Indonesia building in Padang, West Sumatra.

His love for Islam and culture was also evidenced when he served as the Vice Chairman of the Istiqlal Festival I in Jakarta in 1989 and as Vice Chairman of the Mushaf Istiqlal Al-Quran, Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, in 1990. In 1995, he again served as Vice Chairman of the Istiqlal Festival II in Jakarta.

For all his achievements, he was appointed by President Soeharto as Professor of Fine Arts in 1993 and received the Satyalencana Kebudayaan award from President Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2002.

Among the awards he received are:
1. Best Print Work in the Art Show Naples, New York, USA (1970)
2. Best Painting in the 1st Jakarta Arts Council Biennale Exhibition (1974)
3. Best Painting in the 2nd Jakarta Arts Council Biennale Exhibition (1976)
4. Silver Medal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (1984)
5. Art Award by the Minister of Education and Culture (1985)
6. Satyalencana Kebudayaan by the President of the Republic of Indonesia (2002)
7. Meukuta Alam Award (Cultural Award) from the Governor of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (2006)
8. Cultural Dedication Art and Culture Award by the Mayor of Bandung (2010)
9. Adhi Karya Rupa Award from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia (2015)
10. Habibie Award in the Field of Cultural Sciences (2015)
"Solo Exhibitions
1. Islamic Calligraphy Painting Exhibition in the Chase Manhattan Art Program, Jakarta (1972)
2. Islamic Graphic Arts Exhibition in the Chase Manhattan Art Program, Jakarta (1976)
3. Retrospective I for works from 1960-1985, at Taman Izmail Marzuki (1985)
4. Retrospective II for works from 1985-2002, at the National Gallery, Jakarta (2002)
5. Ja'u Timu at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (2012)
6. Verses of the Universe in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2015)
7. A. D.Pirous: Spiritual Calligraphy. World Trade Center, Jakarta (2016)
8. Suaka - Modernist Series #1, Art Agenda S.E.A, Jakarta (2022)"

Group Exhibitions
1. "The 8th International Biennial Exhibition of Prints". National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan (1972)
2. "The 3rd Triennale of India", Lalit Kala Academy, Rahindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India (1975)
3. "The Biennale of Graphic Arts", Ljubliana, Yugoslavia (1977)
4. "Western Pacific Biennale Melbourne", Print Council of Australia (1978)
5. "The 3rd World Biennale of Graphic Art", Iraqi Cultural Center, London (1980)
6. "Contemporary Asian Art Series, Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan (1980)
7. Painting and Graphic Exhibition, Centre Culturel Francais, Bandung (1990)
8. Painting and Graphic Exhibition of 13 Bandung Artists, West Java Trade Center, Bandung (1990)
9. "2nd Asian Travelling Exhibition of Painting Photography and Children's Art", IMF Visitors Center, Washington DC, United States of America (1991)
10. "6th International Asian Art Exhibition", Fukuoka, Japan (1991)
11. "7th International Asian Art Exhibition", Gedung Merdeka, Bandung (1992)
12. "Indonesian Modern Art", Gate Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1993)
13. "8th International Asian Art Exhibition", Fukuoka and Tanagawa, Japan (1993)
14. "Art of Indonesia - Denmark" by RC Pondok Indah, Jakarta (1993)
15. "9th International Asian Art Exhibition", Taipei, Taiwan (1994)

The funeral procession for the late Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous was conducted with deep reverence. The Rector of ITB, Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., in her farewell speech, expressed profound condolences for his passing.

Throughout his life, he had a long and distinguished career. He was also a respected figure who contributed not only to ITB but to the community, nation, and country.

The ITB family mourns the departure of Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous. We are all here to give him our last respects, and appreciation, for his service and love for ITB, said Prof. Reini.

Farewell Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous, thank you for all your dedication and service. Our prayers accompany you, may you rest in peace with Allah SWT, she continued.

Meanwhile, a representative from Prof. Abdul Djalil Pirous's family, namely Iwan Pirous, who is the deceased's son, expressed gratitude to the ITB community for all the attention and respect shown to him.

Thank you to all the friends and academic community of ITB for the immense support. Let us together take care of what he has planted. Sincerely, we say farewell to our beloved father and teacher, said Iwan.

Reporter: Anggun Nindita
Translator: Anggi Nurdiani (Management, 2024)
Editor: Firza