Agus Darwanto is a versatile, complex person. He is a scientist, loves to design clothing, and once was a dancer. On October 2, 2009, he discovered another side of himself when he awoke, feeling a strong urge to become a painter. He says, “That same day, I drove to an art store and purchased equipment and supplies for oil painting. I had never painted before but within me I found the hope and confidence to become a painter. Since then, I have painted almost every night including weekends. I feel relaxed when I am painting.”

Flowers, trees, and landscapes are among the objects that capture Agus’ imagination. His inspiration was a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe, whom he feels successfully returned the flower to artistic prominence with her series of close-up objects. Agus’ artwork is dominated by bright colors; each having a unique meaning and conveying a different mood. He says, “Bright colors reflect motivation and happiness.”

Agus’ work has hung at Saint Vincent's Clinic in Galveston, and he has been accepted into numerous juried shows including the Galveston Art League Fall Juried Show, the Body Image Exhibition at TAACCL (Nassau Bay, TX), the Open Door Series at TAACCL, and the 2010 Juried Exhibition at City Hall and Dryson Center Loma Linda, California.

In addition, he has works in the collections of individuals in Seattle, Tucson, Brooklyn, and various cities in California, Texas, and Massachusetts.

Agus was born in a very small village in the Java Island of Indonesia where art was a major part of his life. His parents taught him to appreciate the beauty of nature and behind their house was an open farm field. He describes his life there, “Every morning when we opened our eyes, we were exposed to the beautiful sunrise over the rice field accompanied by the melodious sounds of birds. Flowers were everywhere and the long field was green almost all year long. Some people worked as farmers, others in the village worked crafting home-made furniture. At that time, there was no electricity and you could see the sky painted with stars. On certain nights, the moon would shine brightly near the border of the constellations. Dancing and singing were the other activities that entertained us almost every day. We had no TV, video games, or other technology.”

In addition to art, Agus loves math and science. “Science gives my imagination life,” is his mantra. He has a doctoral degree in molecular pathology form Kobe University-Japan, followed by postdoctoral work in immunology and biochemistry. Currently Agus works in the department of pharmacology and toxicology at UTMB Galveston. He has numerous supporters who provide constructive criticism and opinions and recently started taking formal painting classes.

To see his collection please visit www.agusdarwanto.com