Dolorosa Sinaga

Dolorosa Sinaga (born 1952) is an Indonesian sculptor, feminist and human rights activist. She was previously dean of the faculty of fine arts at the and founder of the Somalaing Art Studio which she has operated in Jakarta since 1987. Her works appear in the National Gallery of Indonesia and internationally.

Biography Early life and education Dolorosa Sinaga was born in Sibolga, North Sumatra, Indonesia on 31 October 1952 or possibly 1953. She was born into a Christian Batak family; both her parents had Dutch-language educations during the colonial era. She graduated in 1977 and then obtained a scholarship to study abroad at Saint Martin's School of Art in London, where she graduated with a master's degree in 1983. During her years in London she also visited Italy and other European countries to observe historical works of art, and became particularly influenced by the work of Alberto Giacometti. Her work incorporates themes of liberation, pain, injustice, women's resistance and solidarity. Among her better-known sculptures are (The Spirit of the generation of '66) in Kuningan, South Jakarta and (Solidarity, 2000) which is located at the National Commission on Violence Against Women ; a replica is in the International Monetary Fund building in Washington, D.C. A replica of that piece was created for the International Sculpture Park in Siena, Italy.

Throughout her career Sinaga has been involved in a number of social movements. She cofounded (The Indonesian Arts Coalition), an arts nonprofit organization. And she was media coordinator and a steering committee member of the People's Tribunal on 1965 Crimes against Humanity in Indonesia which was convened in The Hague in 2015. In 2016 she helped co-organize a left-wing festival called Turn Left Festival which was banned by police. She also produced a documentary, directed by Rahung Nasution, called (Buru Island, my Homeland). In 2016 she also curated an exhibition in Jakarta of art focusing on the historical experience of Indonesian Comfort women during World War II. Most recently, she is a part of an exhibition titled “Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise” at the National Gallery Singapore, an exhibition showcasing five Southeast Asian women artists.