The Sultanate of Yogyakarta is a Javanese monarchy in Yogyakarta Special Region, in the Republic of Indonesia. The current head of the sultanate is Hamengkubuwono X.

   Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy. Yogyakarta is regarded as an important center for classical Javanese fine arts and culture.

   The Rumah Patung Rohani Brata Gallery was founded in 1967 by Mr. Tan Brata Halim; currently Mr. Brata is 82 years old, and it is his son who is in charge of the family business.

   Rumah Patung Rohani in the Bahasa Indonesia language literally means: House of the Spiritual Statues.

   The Brata family has been creating sculptures and statues, mostly religious, Christian, by hand and artisanal, for 58 years, although in the last decade, digital technology with computers has been gradually being implemented.

   Mr. Brata does not have a knowledge base as a sculptor, he studied and learned in a self-taught manner. In 1963 he began studying the art of drawing traditional batik, until he finally continued learning from the famous Indonesian sculptor Edhi Sunarso.

   The tow materials most commonly used to build sculptures, statues and figures are plaster and clay: plaster sculptures are made with molds, and clay sculptures are made on a wooden base with iron rods.

   It currently has 25 employees between the gallery, the adjacent workshop, and two other workshops in Kasongan, a small village famous for its pottery and ceramics.

   Something that strongly catches attention is that the majority of the workers are Muslims, creating statues of Christian gods, some of which are exported to the United States and Canada. The respect and tolerance they convey is remarkable, as well as the delicacy with which they create gods of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Capitalism, and Indigenist. 

   

 

   

Mr Brata Jr shapes the face of a statue of Jesus Christ in the outdoor workshop in Kasongan
Different sculptures ready for sale at the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Master sculptor reviews details on the nose of a sculpture of Virgin Mary in the outdoor workshop in Kasongan
Sculptures at the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Worker cleans sculptures on the street at the door of the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Sculptures at the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Arms and legs of the crucified Jeus Christ in the Kasongan workshop
Worker paints with a brush a statue of the Virgin Mary in the adjacent workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Worker uses his own hand as a model for the details of the hand of a sculture in the Kasongan workshop
Sculptures of Jesus Christ and Buddha in the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Sculpture of a bishop ready to be sold at the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Worker repairs a sculpture mold of the Virgin Mary in the Kasongan workshop
Unfinished statues in the adjoining workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Master sculptor outlines the details of the face of a sculpture of an indigenous woman in the outdoor workshop in Kasongan
Worker paints with a brush the final details of two large sculpture located on the sidewalk in the adjoining workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Different unfinished sculptures in the workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Unfinished sculpture and molds in Kasongan's workshop
Worker wets recently built clay statues in the Kasongan workshop
Worker polished a sculpture with sandpaper in the Kasongan workshop
Worker paints a sculpture of the Virgin Mary with an airbrush in the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Master sculptor creates a clay statue on a base of thin iron bars
Sculptures finished and ready for sale at the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Sculptor works on the fingers of a clay statue of an indigenous woman in Kasongan workshop
Worker uses a polisher to polish the edge of a plaster sculpture made with molds in the Kasongan workshop
Worker removes the paint from a plaster sculpture in the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Master sculptor smooths the eyelid of a clay statue of the Virgin Mary with his finger in the Kasongan workshop
Worker cleans figures of Jesus Christ on the edge of the sidewalk in the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Statues of Catholic monks with tonsure in Kasongan workshop
Worker paint with a brush figures of the Virgin Mary in the adjoining workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
A worker uses a knife to shape the toes of the foot of a crucified Jesus Christ in the Kasongan workshop
Master sculptor uses a wire tool to remove excess clay from the face of a sculpture of an indigenous woman in the Kasongan workshop
Worker on a ladder uses an airbrush to paint a large statue of the Virgin Mary in the adjacent workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Statue recently painted with airbrush in the Kasongan workshop
Sculptor molds the hand of a clay statue of an indigenous woman in the outdoor workshop of Kasongan
Worker sands a plaster statue using a paper polished tool in the Kasongan workshop
Master, sculptor, and workers, work on three different clay statues in the outdoor workshop in Kasongan
Figures of Jesus Christ drying to be painted in the workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
A worker uses a small brush to paint figures of Jesus Christ in the adjacent workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Worker uses a polishing tool to smooth the edges of a plaster statue in the Kasongan workshop
Master sculptor outlines the lips of a clay sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the outdoor workshop of Kasongan
Worker paints with an airbrush a huge sculpture of the Virgin Mary, on the street next to the adjoining workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Molds for making plaster sculptures in the Kasongan workshop
Workers use small knives to remove the excess plaster from the sculptures in the Kasongan workshop
Worker removes the paint from a plaster sculpture in the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Sculptor molds the hand of a clay statue of an indigenous woman in the outdoor workshop of Kasongan
Worker draws details in pencil on the mantle of the Virgin Mary, at the doors of the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
An old statue of Jesus Christ with his new hands hanging around his neck waits to be restored in the adjoining workshop of the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Master sculptor prepares the wooden base and iron rods to create a new clay statue in the outdoor workshop of Kasongan
A worker uses a very fine brush to paint the datails of the cloak on a sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the workshop adjacent to the Brata gallery in Yogyakarta
Workers protect with a wooden structure a sculpture already wrapped to be transported to the buyer's home, on the street next to the brata gallery in Yogyakarta
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