Untitled 

Basuki Abdullah painted this image of a lion in an unknown year using oil paint. Abdullah was famous for his academic style and portraits of elites, but this painting invites us to consider the politics of Indonesian national identity in the 20th century. Lions are not native to Indonesia, but images of lions feature prominently in Indonesian heraldry and mythology, where they are seen as symbols of power and royalty. During the Dutch colonial period, the lion was often associated with the Dutch colonizers. Post-independence, artists had to reclaim the image of the lion as a symbol of Indonesian strength. How does Abdullah take this loaded symbol and make it his own? To answer this question, we can look to postcolonial theory as well as research into Indonesian visual culture and political history. By placing Abdullah’s painting in its historical context, we can understand how it both reflects and shapes Indonesian national identity.