Short Bio

Dani Iswardana Wibowo

Born in Surakarta, 20 April 1973. He has has known wayang beber since in Surakarta Art Instute. He does not paint wayang beber based on the Panji stories conventionally, but a freely personal interpreting such as taking inspiration of Mahabharata, ramayana, fable, legend and the nowadays living. Painting it for him is the flashback process of awareness of accepting and refusing the past tradition, a dialectic of space and time – an endless time to comprehend something by new perspective. Controversial world always make him seek and understand the transcendental. His contemporary wayang beber painting works are Lesung Jumengglung, Pasar Kumandhang, and Suluk Banyu. His father was musician of a Javanese beating instrument (kendhang) in gamelan orchestra of Ramayana Ballet Performing group. He has worked together in artistic department by international Indonesian choreographer such as Sardono W. Kusumo, Bambang Besur Suryono, Fajar satriadi, Ketut Rina, Suprapto Suryodarmo, etc. His aesthetics journey is from visiting the traditional artists in Java and Bali such as Ni Ketut Cenik, Ida Bagus Blangsinga, Rasimun, Gimun, Jopo S.Purba, and Sutrsino, a Malang mask maker artist. It makes me to draw dance sketch.

Arts Experiences

1995 - Participating in wayang beber painting exhibition at Contemporary Museum of Nyoman Gunarsa, Yogyakarta.

1996 - Painting Exhibition together with Tumbuh Community of Surakarta Arts College.

1999 - Sketch Exhibition at Gedong Putih, Surakarta.

2002 - Artistics in 'Sutasoma Englightenment Within' dance performing and Sketch Exhibition at Graha Bhakti, Jakarta.

2004 - Dance Sketch Exhibition 'The Lost Alphabet' at Teater Utan Kayu, Jakarta. Umbul-Umbul Festival, Sanur, Bali.

2005 – Founded Wayang Beber Kota with Agung Priyo Wibowo and Tri Ganjar Wicaksono.

2005 - Wayang Beber Kota Performing with story teller Tri Ganjar Wicaksono in the event of 'Drawing Solo City Changes', Festival Pasar Kumandang, Festival Sriwedari, Surakarta; in 'Paloga shakes Mall', Malang Arts Council & Malang Isamic University, Malang, East Java.

2006 – Wayang Beber Kota (WBK) Performing titling ‘Lesung Jumenggelung’ with dalang (story teller) Tri Ganjar Wicaksono in Children Story Teller Festival at Surakarta Arts Centre, Central Java; WBK Performing in Wayang and Mask Exhibition in 1000 Expression, at Kubu Bingin, Ubud, Bali; WBK Performing in Pekan Wayang Kebangsaan, Hall Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta; WBK Performing in charity gathering for Jogja earthquake victims, at Solopos Hall, Solo, Central Java.

2007 – WBK Presentation at Akademi Seni Kebangsaan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; at Bau Bau Café, Singapore and at Wunder Space, Singapore.

2008 – As tutor in workshop of new wayang creation; with Mataya arts&heritage made WBK performing collaboration and exhibition with Pasar Mangetsu Kaigan in the project ‘Shimane-Indonesia Exchange of Traditional Arts’, 2-9 September; as tutor in wayang workshop in the event of World Heritage Cities Conference for Euro-Asia Region, Solo, 28-30 October, 2008.

2009 – Residency & Workhop Tutor on Wayang Beber Painting at Singapore Management University (November 2009).

2010 – Residency, Exhibition & Workshop Tutor on Wayang Beber Painting at La Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris, March 16 – April 28, 2010).

Workshop Tutor on Wayang Beber Painting at Japan Foundation, Jakarta, September 27 – 28, 2010.

2011 - Wayang Beber Kota-Sanggar Seni Sekar Jagad Collaboration performed wayang beber in Bandung Wayang Festival, 22-30 April.

Working together in fiction film making entitled ‘Bumiku’ with director Tonny Trimarsanto, 15-20 September. The main idea of the film was about climate change based on my wayang beber work.