As both an artist and academic, Ahmad Sadali (1924 – 1987) was a central figure in the development of modern Islamic art in Indonesia. Understanding painting as a means to “clarify the relationship between self and world,” he used bold impasto layers, gold accents and calligraphy to express his instinctive connection with nature. Taught by Dutch painter Ries Mulder in his early years, he developed a distinct manner of abstract painting which he used to depict the divine.