Sriwati Masmundari

Sriwati Masmundari was an Indonesian visual artist who was a master of the traditional mask dance Topeng and the lantern painting damar kurung from her birthplace Gresik. She learned the art of Topeng and damar kurung from her parents, who were also performers and artists, since she was five years old. She performed and painted throughout her life, even during the Japanese occupation and the Indonesian National Revolution, when she witnessed the destruction of her family's collection of heirloom masks, props, and puppets. She married twice, and settled down with a kendang drummer named Amat. She became famous very late in life, having her first public exhibition in Jakarta in 1987, when she was 83 years old. She was featured by national magazines, art exhibitions, and the Indonesian Presidential Palace. She also performed and taught abroad, in Japan, Canada, and the UK. She continued to create and exhibit art until the last year of her life, growing increasingly contemporary and original in the scenes she depicted. She died on September 25, 2005, a day after her final performance from her wheelchair. She was the oldest Topeng dancer known to still be performing. She passed on her masks, costumes, and lanterns to her granddaughter, who became her successor.