Born in 1981 in Semarang, Indonesia, artist Vani Hidayatur Rahman is currently based in Jogjakarta. He has shown his works in various group exhibitions including ArtJog 2013: Maritime Culture, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta; Return to Home, International Union of Unified Ummah Cartoon Contest, Iran (2012); Manifesto, Indonesian National Gallery, Jakarta (2010). Vani has received a number of art awards including the Best Painting accolade at the 2012 Jakarta Art Awards and was a finalist at the 2008 Jakarta Art Awards.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman has made a name for himself with his distinctive and realistic style. With his highly complex paintings that are adorned with detailed embellishments, Vani imbues a strong concept and story into each piece and addresses pertinent political, social and environmental issues that span war to pollution. In his artwork entitled "Unity," Vani depicts a large ark - a motif that has been reiterated by other Indonesian painters such as Widayat and Amrus Natalya. However, Vani presents his own interpretation of the timber vessel by painting it in an unfinished stage of construction and glory - a group of workers on deck are still sawing, carrying wooden beams and measuring for dimensions. The flurry of activity is painted from a birds-eye view and aerial perspective, with the entire structure and frame visible - allowing the viewer to feel as if he or she is an omniscient being looking down from above.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman has made a name for himself with his distinctive and realistic style. With his highly complex paintings that are adorned with detailed embellishments, Vani imbues a strong concept and story into each piece and addresses pertinent political, social and environmental issues that span war to pollution. In his artwork entitled "Unity," Vani depicts a large ark - a motif that has been reiterated by other Indonesian painters such as Widayat and Amrus Natalya. However, Vani presents his own interpretation of the timber vessel by painting it in an unfinished stage of construction and glory - a group of workers on deck are still sawing, carrying wooden beams and measuring for dimensions. The flurry of activity is painted from a birds-eye view and aerial perspective, with the entire structure and frame visible - allowing the viewer to feel as if he or she is an omniscient being looking down from above.
Publications 
Publications
Victory March, 2019
Biography
Biography
Born in 1981 in Semarang, Indonesia, artist Vani Hidayatur Rahman is currently based in Jogjakarta. He has shown his works in various group exhibitions including ArtJog 2013: Maritime Culture, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta; Return to Home, International Union of Unified Ummah Cartoon Contest, Iran (2012); Manifesto, Indonesian National Gallery, Jakarta (2010). Vani has received a number of art awards including the Best Painting accolade at the 2012 Jakarta Art Awards and was a finalist at the 2008 Jakarta Art Awards.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman has made a name for himself with his distinctive and realistic style. With his highly complex paintings that are adorned with detailed embellishments, Vani imbues a strong concept and story into each piece and addresses pertinent political, social and environmental issues that span war to pollution. In his artwork entitled "Unity," Vani depicts a large ark - a motif that has been reiterated by other Indonesian painters such as Widayat and Amrus Natalya. However, Vani presents his own interpretation of the timber vessel by painting it in an unfinished stage of construction and glory - a group of workers on deck are still sawing, carrying wooden beams and measuring for dimensions. The flurry of activity is painted from a birds-eye view and aerial perspective, with the entire structure and frame visible - allowing the viewer to feel as if he or she is an omniscient being looking down from above.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman is part of the Batu Asah group that consists of five other artists, namely Dhidik Danardono, Fajar Susanto alias Kunting, Ismu Ismoyo, Rio Humansyah Ali and Rosi Alam Fidiansyah. Aside from painting, he also experiments with a wide range of other materials and mediums to create large-scale installation pieces such as "Tasfir Mimpi" or Dream Interpretation that was exhibited at Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta Gallery from June 14 to 30. The title of his creation was, "Banyak-banyak makan jangan ada sisa, makan jangan bersuara. Banyak-banyak makan jangan ada sisa, ayo makan bersama" which roughly translates as “Eat a lot, finish everything, do not make a sound when you eat. Eat a lot, finish everything, let us eat together.” Arranged like a dining area, two long tables were joined and surrounded by six colorful chairs. However, one chair from the corner of the table was then placed on top of the table upside down. It seemed as if the meal on top of the table was only meant for five people and five place settings were present, making the viewer wonder if the sixth person had upped and left the meal. The food served on the table was a wooden branch cut up to resemble sliced bread and there was even a plate at the back of the exhibition hall. The piece itself perhaps refers to values of not talking whilst one's mouth is full as it is considered rude, and the Asian values of eating collectively as a family. According to Hermanu - the manager of Bentara Budaya, the piece addresses our freedom of imagination (within the constraints of custom and society), which extends to the freedom of choice we have towards food we consume and the possibility of eating forbidden food as well.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman has made a name for himself with his distinctive and realistic style. With his highly complex paintings that are adorned with detailed embellishments, Vani imbues a strong concept and story into each piece and addresses pertinent political, social and environmental issues that span war to pollution. In his artwork entitled "Unity," Vani depicts a large ark - a motif that has been reiterated by other Indonesian painters such as Widayat and Amrus Natalya. However, Vani presents his own interpretation of the timber vessel by painting it in an unfinished stage of construction and glory - a group of workers on deck are still sawing, carrying wooden beams and measuring for dimensions. The flurry of activity is painted from a birds-eye view and aerial perspective, with the entire structure and frame visible - allowing the viewer to feel as if he or she is an omniscient being looking down from above.
Vani Hidayatur Rahman is part of the Batu Asah group that consists of five other artists, namely Dhidik Danardono, Fajar Susanto alias Kunting, Ismu Ismoyo, Rio Humansyah Ali and Rosi Alam Fidiansyah. Aside from painting, he also experiments with a wide range of other materials and mediums to create large-scale installation pieces such as "Tasfir Mimpi" or Dream Interpretation that was exhibited at Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta Gallery from June 14 to 30. The title of his creation was, "Banyak-banyak makan jangan ada sisa, makan jangan bersuara. Banyak-banyak makan jangan ada sisa, ayo makan bersama" which roughly translates as “Eat a lot, finish everything, do not make a sound when you eat. Eat a lot, finish everything, let us eat together.” Arranged like a dining area, two long tables were joined and surrounded by six colorful chairs. However, one chair from the corner of the table was then placed on top of the table upside down. It seemed as if the meal on top of the table was only meant for five people and five place settings were present, making the viewer wonder if the sixth person had upped and left the meal. The food served on the table was a wooden branch cut up to resemble sliced bread and there was even a plate at the back of the exhibition hall. The piece itself perhaps refers to values of not talking whilst one's mouth is full as it is considered rude, and the Asian values of eating collectively as a family. According to Hermanu - the manager of Bentara Budaya, the piece addresses our freedom of imagination (within the constraints of custom and society), which extends to the freedom of choice we have towards food we consume and the possibility of eating forbidden food as well.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
2019
Victory March, Ode To Art, Singapore
2018
UOB ArtSpace, Art Stage Singapore
Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2015
Mandiri Bank Art Awards Competition, National Gallery, Jakarta
2014
Next Pics – The Series, Albert Gallery, Jakarta Tanda Mata X, Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta
Di Antara/In Between, Kompetisi Karya Trimatra Nasional, Galeri Salihara, Jakarta
Vox Populi, Vox Dei /Photography/Exposure Magazine, 69th Edition
WalkingHomeAndKillingPain#2 : Page Not Found, Photography Exibition,Bardiman CoffeeShop, Yogyakarta
GasPol RemPol, Lapak 36 Art Space, Yogyakarta
2013
UOB Painting of The Year 2013, Silver Award, UOB Plaza, Jakarta
Maritime Culture / ART JOG 13, Taman Budaya, Yogyakarta
Tafsir Mimpi / kel.Batu Asah, Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta
Meta-Amuk, Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta
2012
Ideal World (Interpreting a Perfect Life)/Jakarta Art Award, North Art Space, Jakarta
Indonesia Tanpa Diskriminasi, Pisa Cafe&Gallery, Jakarta
Return to Home, International Union of Unified Ummah Cartoon Contest 2012, Iran
Weekly Cartoon Contest/Week 2&3, www.irancartoon.com
2010
Indonesian Art Now: The Strategies of Being / ART JOG 10, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
Percakapan Masa / Pameran Besar Manifesto, Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta
2009
Spacing Contemporary/JAF # 2,Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
How Art Lives/ FKY 21, Benteng Vredeburg, Yogyakarta
Menilik Akar, Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta
2008
Golden Box # 2, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta
Art Project # 1/Pra Biennale Solo, Taman Budaya Surakarta
Warna-warna Jakarta/ Jakarta
Art Award, North Art Space, Jakarta
Jogja Art Fair # 1 / FKY 20, Taman Budaya, Yogyakarta
2007
Man + Space, Dahara Gallery Semarang
Domestic Art Object, Jogja Gallery Yogyakarta
Rupa-Rupa Sculpture, Rumah Budaya Tembi Yogyakarta
2006
Double Taste reFresh the Harmony, Sika Gallery Bali
Hero Off the Day, Benteng Vredeburg Yogyakarta
Pameran PEKSIMINAS VIII, Makasar
Pameran Selekda PEKSIMINAS VIII DIY, Sanata Darma Yogyakarta
Parallel Art Show, SKY biz Café, Bandung.
Art for Jogja, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
Jawa dalam Imajinasi, Rumah Budaya Tembi Yogyakarta
K_art_ini, Galeri Universitas Negeri Jakarta
Vaningalanifun Segawon,Galeri Biasa Yogyakarta
2005
Kotakatikotakita/ FKY 17, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
Heritage, Faith & Peace, Borobudur Magelang
Mal Praktik, Benteng Vredeburg, Yogyakarta
2004
Environmental Art, Dies Natalis Sasenitala, Bebeng,Yogyakarta
Art for Love, Pondok Tingal, Magelang
In Collaboration, Java Café, Yogyakarta
2003
Reply / FKY 15, Taman Budaya, Yogyakarta
Saji Seni, UMP Purworejo
2002
One Tone Part One, PDM Kota Yogyakarta
Festival Seni & Budaya, PDM Kota Yogyakarta
Kel. Pertelon, Pasar NgasemYogyakarta
Awards
2014
Finalis Kompetisi, Karya Trimatra Nasional
2013
Silver Award, Established Artist, UOB Painting of the Year 2013
2012
Best Painting “International Painting Competition” Jakarta Art Award
10 Besar Pertama Lomba Lukis Puisi Esai Denny JA ”Indonesia Tanpa Diskriminasi”
2008
Finalis Jakarta Art Award
2006
10 Besar Selekda Peksiminas VIII DIY
2005
Runner-Up Java Caligraphic DIY
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