Indonesian Painting Maestro Nasirun Passes Away at 60

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com—Indonesia’s art community is mourning the passing of renowned painter Nasirun, who died on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026 at 5:58 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) at AMC Muhammadiyah Hospital in Yogyakarta. The Cilacap-born artist was 60.

His passing was confirmed through a death certificate issued by AMC Muhammadiyah Hospital in Yogyakarta, as well as a family obituary announcement.

According to the death certificate signed by Dr. Miftahul Arif Himawan, a general practitioner at AMC Muhammadiyah Hospital, Nasirun was pronounced dead at 5:58 a.m. WIB on Saturday.

The family also announced that Nasirun would be laid to rest later the same day at 2:00 p.m. WIB at Girisapto Artists Cemetery in Tilamat, Wukirsari, Imogiri District, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta.

The family obituary states that he is survived by his wife, Supartilah, and their three children: Ima Bunga Insan Sani, Yudhistira Nurul Asmi, and Nawarna Ratna Mutu Manikam.

Condolences also came from the Fine Arts Study Program of the Faculty of Art and Design (FSRD) at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. In its statement, the institution remembered Nasirun as a master painter and a 1987 graduate of its Fine Arts program.

“May the Almighty Allah grant him the best place by His side, and may his family be blessed with strength and fortitude. Amen,” the Fine Arts Study Program of FSRD ISI Yogyakarta said in its condolence message.

Nasirun was widely regarded as one of Indonesia’s leading contemporary artists, celebrated for his distinctive visual language that drew heavily on Javanese culture, traditional symbolism, wayang (shadow puppetry), and spiritual themes.

Throughout his career, he held numerous solo and group exhibitions across Indonesia and abroad, earning recognition as one of the country’s most influential figures in contemporary art.

His passing marks a significant loss for Indonesia’s art community. His works, which seamlessly blended traditional cultural values with contemporary artistic expression, inspired generations of young Indonesian artists.