SMU-ASEAN Artist Residency: Dani Iswardana: 16 Nov – 15 Dec 2009

Artist-in-Residence
The Substation is partnering with Singapore Management University in a pilot Artist-in-Residence programme this year. The SMU-ASEAN Artist Residency provides opportunities for Singapore and ASEAN artists to interact with students as well as have valuable time to reflect and create in a studio hosted on SMU campus. Our current resident artist is Dani Iswardana from Solo, Indonesia. Dani has been studying and exploring wayang beber since his studies at the Surakarta Art Instute. Dani does not paint traditional wayang beber scrolls that typically tell stories based on Javanese Panji legends. Rather, he appropriates characters and stories from various Javanese fables, legends and episodes from Mahabharata and Ramayana into the context of today’s contemporary life. Dani has also worked in artistic departments of renowned Indonesian choreographers such as Sardono W. Kusumo, Bambang Besur Suryono, Fajar Satriadi, Ketut Rina and Suprapto Suryodarmo.

Dani Iswardana is an artist living and working in Solo, Indonesia and have been studying and exploring wayang beber since his studies at the Surakarta Art Instute. Dani does not paint traditional wayang beber scrolls that typically tell stories based on Javanese Panji legends. Rather, he appropriates characters and stories from various Javanese fables, legends and episodes from Mahabharata and Ramayana into the context of today’s contemporary life. Dani has also worked in artistic departments of renowned Indonesian choreographers such as Sardono W. Kusumo, Bambang Besur Suryono, Fajar Satriadi, Ketut Rina and Suprapto Suryodarmo.

Dani Iswardana (left) and Tri Ganjar Wicaksono in a Wayang Beber performance