Peace, Freedom & Harmony
Art for Unity
Imam B. Rastanagara Painter & Percussionist
Imam Budiono Rastanagara (March 23, 1966) was born and raised in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. In 1984 he moved to the city of Jogjakarta to study graphic design at the Indonesian Art Institute. During his time as a student in this small city, which is a center of traditional and modern arts & culture, Imam began spending time on Malioboro Street. Malioboro is the main thoroughfare in the heart of the shopping district, and runs from the Sultan's Palace to the central train station. It is a place where artists both young and old gather. He joined together with a group of street musicians to form the ethnic rock band KPJM: Kelompok Penyanyi Jalanan Malioboro (The Malioboro Street Musicians Group). To this day he continues to make music with this band, playing a variety of percussion instruments including the gendang (traditional Javanese drum), tabla and djembe.
In 1993 Imam was active in the formation of an artist collective known as Joglo Jago. This group consists of well-known artists from all over Indonesia and supports new and upcoming artists and musicians. In 1999 Imam was a founding member of KSM: Kommunitas Seni Malioboro (The Malioboro Art Community). This collective supports artists who otherwise would have little access to performance and exhibition space. Imam strives to promote street artists' creativity by supporting a variety of art events with the motto Seni untuk Kebersamaan (Art for Unity). Imam lives at the beach in Indonesia on the south coast of the island of Java with his wife and twin daughters. They are currently making plans to create an art and environmental center, Padepokan Padma Kidul (The South Lotus Learning Haven).
In 1993 Imam was active in the formation of an artist collective known as Joglo Jago. This group consists of well-known artists from all over Indonesia and supports new and upcoming artists and musicians. In 1999 Imam was a founding member of KSM: Kommunitas Seni Malioboro (The Malioboro Art Community). This collective supports artists who otherwise would have little access to performance and exhibition space. Imam strives to promote street artists' creativity by supporting a variety of art events with the motto Seni untuk Kebersamaan (Art for Unity). Imam lives at the beach in Indonesia on the south coast of the island of Java with his wife and twin daughters. They are currently making plans to create an art and environmental center, Padepokan Padma Kidul (The South Lotus Learning Haven).
