Artikel ini akan membahas perkembangan seni A.D. Pirous dari Abstrak ke Kaligrafi pada tahun 1965-1970. Perjalanan seorang seniman sehingga mencapai gaya khasnya tidaklah instan. Perkembangan gaya kesenian seorang seniman dapat dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor seperti keinginan untuk mencari identitasnya. Fenomena tersebut juga dilalui oleh A.D Pirous yang pada awal karirnya dikenal sebagai seniman abstrak Indonesia mengalami perkembangan yang unik di mana awalnya ia dikenal sebagai seniman abstrak Indonesia menjadi salah satu perintis kaligrafi modern di Indonesia. Perubahan tersebut menarik terdorong dari keinginannya untuk menemukan identitas nasionalnya setelah menyadari bahwa pendidikan seninya sangat dipengaruhi seni barat. Kini, karya kaligrafinya menjadi khas keindonesiaan Pirous pada dunia kesenian internasional. Telah banyak penelitian mengenai nilai-nilai Islam serta kajian yang menguraikan teknikalitas pada karya-karya Pirous. Maka dari itu, kajian ini akan menggambarkan identitas nasional A.D Pirous melalui perkembangan keseniannya pada tahun 1965-1980. Perkembangan seninya memperlihatkan bahwa perubahan gayanya melalui proses yang panjang. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penulisan sejarah yang mencakup pemilihan topik, heuristik, verifikasi (kritik sumber), interpretasi, dan historiografi. Data yang mendukung penelitian didapatkan dari pengumpulan arsip lukisan, pamflet pameran, wawancara, dan buku.

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This article will discuss the development of A.D. Pirous` art from Abstract to Calligraphy in 1965-1970. An artist's journey to achieve his or her signature style is not instantaneous. The development of an artist's art style can be influenced by various factors such as the desire to find his identity. A.D Pirous, who at the beginning of his career was known as an Indonesian abstract artist, experienced a unique development where he was initially known as an Indonesian abstract artist to become one of the pioneers of modern calligraphy in Indonesia. The change was interestingly driven by his desire to find his national identity after realizing that his art education was heavily influenced by western art. Today, his calligraphic works are typical of Pirous's Indonesianness in the international art world. There have been many studies on Islamic values as well as studies outlining the technicalities of Pirous' works. Therefore, this study will illustrate A.D Pirous' national identity through the development of his art from 1965-1980. The development of his art shows that the changes in his style went through a long process. This research uses a historical writing method that includes topic selection, heuristics, verification (source criticism), interpretation, and historiography. Data supporting the research was obtained from the collection of painting archives, exhibition pamphlets, interviews, and books.