Documenting Indonesia’s Revolution through the Caricature Collection of Museum Joang ’45

Museum Joang ’45 is one of the museums in Jakarta that houses a number of art objects created by Indonesian artists.

One of its most significant collections consists of 68 caricatures produced by Indonesian artists and masters of painting.

These caricatures served as a medium through which artists recorded memories of the struggle for Indonesia’s independence during the revolutionary period.

The Role of Caricature during the Revolutionary Period

Caricature is able to convey messages through simple images and symbols, making them accessible to audiences from various social backgrounds.

Historically, the caricature in the Museum Joang ’45 collection functioned as propaganda media during the revolution, disseminating information to the wider public.

They generally carry themes and concepts of nationalism, characterized by visual elements such as state symbols and figures of leaders or freedom fighters.

Examples include Caricature of the Dutch Offering a Chair to an Indonesian Figure, Caricature of Republican Troops Leaping onto a Steel Tank and Throwing a Grenade into Its Turret, and Caricature of a New Star Appearing in Indonesia.

Some of these caricatures were created on makeshift materials, such as used or coarse paper, indicating a spontaneous production process. One example is Caricature of a Lady Giving Clothes to a NICA Boy by Abdoelsalam (1947).

This caricature depicts a Dutch child facing a woman or lady who is wiping her eyes and clenching her fist, alongside a male figure wearing a plain T-shirt with a sash reading “Indonesia,” set in an outdoor scene.

The 68 caricatures in the collection of Museum Joang ’45 are a donation from Sukartinah, a figure who was actively engaged in the artistic and cultural networks of her time. Together with her husband, the artist Trisno Sumardjo, she was involved in Indonesia’s artistic and intellectual circles, although the roles of women within these circles have often been overlooked in historical records.

To more fully understand the role of these caricatures, it is important to view Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM)/ Young Indonesian Artists as the art collective that produced the caricatures now held in the Museum Joang ’45 collection.

Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM)

Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM) or Young Indonesian Artists was an organization established in 1946, initiated by a number of Indonesian artists and maestro of painting, including S. Sudjojono, Trisno Sumardjo, Sunindyo, and Surono.

SIM emerged from the collective awareness of artists to establish a more dynamic and revolutionary platform for defending independence through visual art in the post-proclamation revolutionary period.

The caricatures in the collection of the Joang ’45 Museum are known to be works by SIM members, among them S. Sudjojono, Agus Djaya, Affandi, Trubus Sudarsono, Basuki Resobowo, Abdoelsalam, Wakidjan, Mochtar Apin, Sukondo, Otto Djajasuntara, as well as several other artists.

The artists involved came from diverse backgrounds and made varied contributions to the history of Indonesian art. S. Sudjojono is widely recognized as a key figure in the development of modern Indonesian painting, while Affandi and Agus Djaya were renowned painters and central figures in the development of visual art during the revolutionary period.

The caricatures in the collection of the Joang ’45 Museum are known to be works by SIM members, among them S. Sudjojono, Agus Djaya, Affandi, Trubus Sudarsono, Basuki Resobowo, Abdoelsalam, Wakidjan, Mochtar Apin, Sukondo, Otto Djajasuntara, as well as several other artists.

The artists involved came from diverse backgrounds and made varied contributions to the history of Indonesian art. S. Sudjojono is widely recognized as a key figure in the development of modern Indonesian painting, while Affandi and Agus Djaya were renowned painters and central figures in the development of visual art during the revolutionary period.

Trubus Sudarsono is known as an artist with a strong command of character and human anatomy. Basuki Resobowo was a versatile artist and also one of the founders of the Indonesian Association of Draftsmen (Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia, PERSAGI), while Otto Djajasuntara, Agus Djaya’s younger brother, is known as an expressionist painter.

Beyond these figures, SIM also functioned as an incubator for many other major Indonesian artists. Several members recorded as actively involved in SIM’s activities include Sudarso, Zaini, Suromo, and Oesman Effendi.

SIM’s contribution during the revolutionary period can be seen as a “kitchen” of visual propaganda for Indonesia, through works produced by its members by means of mass-producing propaganda posters that were then distributed and displayed in public spaces.

SIM members also indirectly acted as visual journalists, documenting events that could not be captured by photographers’ cameras at the time.

Their presence further served as a form of cultural diplomacy, presenting Indonesia as a sovereign, intellectual, and modern cultural entity amid a period of crisis through visual works.

Additional caricature collections will be accessible through the Jakarta Digital Collections (JDC) platform, scheduled to be launched in 2026. JDC is an initiative by SEAMS through the #KoleksiKita program, in collaboration with the Jakarta Provincial Office of Culture and 12 museums and galleries under its management.

This activity is supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), which is committed to supporting the preservation of historic buildings, archaeological and cultural sites, museum objects and collections, as well as traditional expressions such as language and music in partner countries.