¹Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta, Jl. Ki Hajar Dewantara No. 19, Kentingan, Jebres, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia

²Faculty of Art and Design, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami No. 36 A, Kentingan, Jebres, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia

Email: anna_sungkar@yahoo.co.id

This article discusses four Jakarta painters: Zaini, Rusli, Nashar, and Oesman Effendi who jointly fought for Indonesian independence through SIM organizations in Madiun and Yogyakarta. After the war was over, they created works of modernism in an abstract style that was far different from the SIM ideology which was based on realism. They then built LPKJ in Jakarta, a non-conventional art school that prioritizes freedom of expression, appreciation of nature, outdoor studies, and interdisciplinary studies. This research uses a descriptive method through observation techniques with several case studies, namely examining their painting styles and finding similar characteristics in their works. It turns out that they have a common thread, namely love and appreciation for nature in order to get to its essence. Their thoughts were then passed on to LPKJ students and inspired a younger generation of Indonesian artists.