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Indonesian Islamic Congress Features Exhibition of Founders' Portraits
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Indonesian Islamic Congress Features Exhibition of Founders' Portraits

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Jombang includes an art exhibition showcasing portraits of the organization's founders.
  • The exhibition aims to honor the legacy of NU's founders and familiarize younger generations with their images and contributions.
  • Some of the displayed artworks are also available for auction.

The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress, held at the Bahrul Ulum Tambak Beras Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java, has become a platform for artistic appreciation through a special painting exhibition. The event features a collection of large-format paintings depicting the 'muasis,' or founders, of Nahdlatul Ulama.

Displayed prominently are portraits of key figures such as KH Hasyim Asy'ari, the first Rais Akbar (Grand Leader) of NU; KH Abdul Wahab Hasbullah, credited as the initiator of NU's establishment; and KH Bisri Syansuri, a scholar from Denanyar Jombang who helped shape NU's religious foundations. The artists have strived to capture the essence, authority, and character of these national unifying figures, paying close attention to details like turbans, caps, and their gazes to evoke the era when these leaders founded NU in 1926.

We are holding this exhibition to enliven or participate in enlivening the 35th NU Congress in Tambak Beras.

— J HasantoExplaining the purpose of the art exhibition.

Initiated by three artists, J Hasanto from Salatiga, Kholison Syafii from Semarang, and Riyanto from Demak, the exhibition presents approximately 100 paintings. This collection is described as one of the most comprehensive portrayals of NU's founders. J Hasanto explained that the exhibition serves as a creative stage to enliven the highest deliberation forum of NU and to remember the founders' contributions in their homeland.

The artists' goal is to ensure that NU members, particularly the younger generation, become more familiar with the founders' faces and their deep involvement in building NU. Beyond display, about 10 selected works, including portraits of NU founders from Jombang, calligraphy pieces, and a painting of former NU leader and fourth Indonesian President KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), are slated for auction. This initiative aims to foster recognition and emulation of the founders' struggles in growing NU into Indonesia's largest Islamic organization.

The works here are also for sale. There are 10 works.

— J HasantoMentioning that some artworks are available for auction.
About this summary

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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