Nasjah Djamin (b.1924 – d.2010)
Guerrilla, 1974

Oil on canvas

Having witnessed Indonesia's struggle for independence firsthand, Nasjah Djamin drew deeply on historical experience throughout his artistic career. During the Revolution, he served in the military's information unit, produced propaganda posters, and documented the realities of conflict through art. These experiences shaped his enduring sensitivity to the human condition amid social and political change.

 

Across his paintings, Nasjah often positioned small human figures within expansive landscapes, emphasizing the relationship between humanity, nature, and forces greater than oneself. These distant figures evoke both the resilience and dignity of ordinary people while suggesting a contemplative view of human existence. Gerilya reflects the artist's continuing engagement with the human experience of history through a poetic and reflective visual language. The painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts collection through a donation by Adam Malik in 1976.