Katharina Popp
Katharina is a practising artist, painter and printmaker, and has been a teacher of art and Indonesian language in Western Australia for the past 4 years. She resides in Western Australia but takes every opportunity for trips to Indonesia.
"I was an ACICIS student (the Murdoch university language and culture study program which has an arts option at the Mangun Dharma Art Center) at the Art Center, and the opportunities to learn about traditions and contemporary issues in the arts are available 24 hours a day. There is always someone playing around with the drums, the gamelan and the hundreds of wayang kulit puppets (mostly Pak Soleh). The Mangun Dharma Art Center is located in the village of Tulus Besar, Tumpang, and it's the type of place where everyone knows of you or about you within a week of you being there. Because you work with your teachers individually, the lessons are completely to your standard and at your pace. The center is ideally set up for dance and gamelan and new students would slide easily into the daily routine of practice. The teachers for mask and woodcarving are local and work with the Art Center regularly, so they are used to foreign students."
"Half days of instruction allow for a good 3 - 4 hours of work - in a new area, it always takes a little while to warm up to the unfamiliar tools and processes - and you actually feel like you have achieved something without being completely exhausted. It took me some time to settle into the routine here, but you really do need to establish a routine for yourself instead of expecting constant direction. Apart from that, it is a great place to hang out, friends are welcome, peaceful rice fields are meters from the front door. You learn about Javanese culture and tradition by being directly involved, having your monthly selamatan celebrated, your motorbike blessed, helping in preparations for ceremonies and performances. In terms of making art, the Mangun Dharma Art Center is an inspiring location!"
Susanne Nützi
Susanne Nützi is Swiss and lived in Malang for 7 years. She frequently came to the art center to meet artists there and had her 7 month ceremony done by Pak Soleh when she was expecting her third child.
Gill Roberts
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Juliana Wilson
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