Subandi Giyanto is a Gendeng-based maestro who creates modern wayang kulit works. His painting truly encourages young people who wants to create art inspired by traditional wayang kulit principles.
Wayang art is created in his hands with a variety of movements and notions. Many collectors of wayang art come from both within and outside of the nation.
Subandi’s artistic pursuits began when he was seven years old, in first grade. Giyanto Wiguna, his parents, taught him natah and nyungging leather wayang.
He was introduced to art other than wayang kulit when he attended the SSRI in 1975. His first gratifying triumph was his maiden exhibition in April 1975, at the SSRI anniversary gala at the Senisono gallery.
He frequently heard at the time that canvas paintings sold for more money than shadow puppets. His thoughts were racing. He kept seeing his wayang creations being created on large canvases like his fellow ASRI classmates.
This strong desire finally drove him to create paintings with prominent conventional shadow puppet characters. The characters in the wayang paintings are absolutely unique; no one has ever created anything like them. As a result, it is reasonable to describe him as a reporter for modern wayang painting works.
