Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 87

Explore | Interview

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lead a continuously evolving career,” says
Subyakto of his wide-ranging portfolio.
Whatever the medium, Subyakto’s personal
creative process always begins with research
and preparation to ensure the desired result.
This was his guiding principle when he
accepted responsibility as art director of two
large-scale dance productions involving
hundreds of performers: Matah Ati, which is
based on a Javanese epic; and Ariah, based on
the brave female Betawi warrior who led her
fellow farmers in a revolt against Dutch
colonists in 1869. Both projects required
meticulous research in order to get the
details right in every scene, from the unique
stage and costume design to the script and
interpretive dance numbers. He admits it was
a challenge to preserve historical accuracy
while taking some artistic licence to develop
an appealing production. But he maintains
that sacrifice is a lso a crucial part of the
creative process.

Jay’s
Portfolio
Performance
• 2014 Konser Salam
3 Jari, unity concert
held in Gelora Bung
Karno, Jakarta
• 2012 Kidung Abang
Sayang Concert.
• 2008–2009 Persembahan
Cinta Rossa Concert,
JCC Plenary Hall, Jakarta.
Stadion Bukit Djalil,
Kuala Lumpur.

Exhibitions

“Achieving something worthwhile is never
easy. Hard work and sacrifice must come first
when creating,” explains Subyakto, who has
been working behind the scenes in show
business since he was 17.
Developing and managing live productions
presents many unique challenges, but
Subyakto feels that the pressure can often
result in creative solutions and strategies.
In preparing Matah Ati for its first run
of shows, Subyakto decided to have the
premiere at one of Singapore’s leading
performing arts venues, Esplanade Theatre,
before bringing it to Indonesia. With its
centuries-old source material and
conventional values at the heart of the story,
he was worried local audiences wouldn’t be
drawn to such a traditional show, despite its
epic themes of love, loss and war. Directed by
Atilah Soeryadjaja, the show was well
received in Singapore, creating great
domestic interest in the production just as
Subyakto had hoped, leading to an even more
successful Indonesian premiere.
In developing Ariah, Subyakto was again
worried that the show wouldn’t attract
Indonesian audiences as the true story
was relatively unknown at the time and
because most Indonesians prefer modern
entertainment over theatrical arts.
His solution was to create a massive stage
and use the outdoor setting of Monas
(Indonesia’s national monument) as the
backdrop, and employ over 200 performers
and an orchestral musical arrangement to
give the production a truly epic scale and an

• 2013 Sotheby’s
Spring Modern and
Contemporary
Southeast Asian
Paintings (exhibition
and auction),
Hong Kong.
• 2012 Photo[logy] :
3 short stories,
Galerie Sogan
and Art, Singapore.
• 2009 Heaven in Exile,
Galeri Foto Antara
Jakarta.

even greater patriotic emphasis. Video
mapping was also implemented on stage
to give the production of a legendary tale
a modern edge.
Whether in creating art or strategising
a theatrical launch, Subyakto says his best
ideas come to him while connecting
with his country.
“Ideas come to me when I take the time to
enjoy nature and appreciate regional art,
culture and architecture,” says Subyakto.
“I have a particular fascination with the
eastern regions of Indonesia, with areas like
Ternate, the Tanimbar Islands, and Raja
Ampat in Papua, where the culture is rich
and the nature thrives beautifully.”
He also makes time to be inspired by
international travel. “I recently returned

from an unforgettable trip to the South Pole,
a place I’ve always been interested in. I found
a balance of nature there like I had never
witnessed; there’s a silence and stillness to
that place that really gets you thinking…”
Born in Ankara, Turkey, Subyakto’s love
of country, culture and travel was fostered
from a very early age. His father was an
ambassador and former chief of staff
of the Indonesian Navy. “Raising me abroad,
perhaps my father was concerned that
I wouldn’t identify as an Indonesian,
that I wouldn’t share his passion for our
home country. So he would bring me to
many Indonesian museums, to see cultural
arts performances, he gave me many great
old books on Indonesia and speaking Bahasa
Indonesia at home was a must,” Subyakto
recalls with a wry smile. “I embraced it.
I fell in love with my country.”