Born: Purbalingga, Central Java • June 28, 1970
Studio & Location: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Education: Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta
Disciplines: Painting, Drawing, Installation, Object Art, Video, Writing
Artist Profile • Curriculum Vitae
Ugo Untoro
“Art is not an ornament of vanity; it is a mirror of chaos and honesty. A raw, spontaneous approach that refuses rigid dogma—converging personal introspections with visceral social reality.”
Ugo Untoro is an Indonesian contemporary visual artist celebrated for his explorative, raw, and deeply emotive artistic practice. Born in Purbalingga, Central Java, on June 28, 1970, Ugo completed his formal fine arts education at the Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, subsequently establishing his permanent studio in Yogyakarta.
Ugo Untoro’s multidisciplinary practice spans oil and acrylic painting, drawing, expansive installation art, found-object sculpture, video, and creative writing, including poetry and text-based works. His oeuvre consistently investigates the human condition, existential vulnerability, everyday life, and the dynamic friction between intimate personal experiences and broader societal realities.
Ugo’s visual language is characterized by an energetic, untamed, and spontaneous brushwork that refuses rigid stylistic dogma. The raw urban texture of Yogyakarta, street culture, and underground graffiti sensibilities have profoundly shaped his distinct artistic sensibility.
Throughout his distinguished career, Ugo Untoro has exhibited extensively in major solo presentations, retrospectives, biennales, and international art fairs across Indonesia and globally—including Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, the United States, China, Vietnam, and Australia.
Artistic Disciplines
An overview of foundational mediums spanning over three decades of contemporary multidisciplinary exploration.
Painting
Explorations in paint with an expressive, spontaneous, and visceral approach on canvas and linen.
Drawing
Development of visual language through sketches, raw line studies, ink, ballpoint, and charcoal.
Installation & Object Art
Cross-medium experimentation expanding the dialogue between found objects, bronze, and spatial depth.
Video & Multimedia
Moving images and multimedia compositions as integral conceptual extensions of studio inquiry.
Writing & Philosophy
Poetry, essays, aphorisms, and text-based artworks reflecting poetic philosophy and critical inquiry.