He was an Indonesian nationalist, a modernist painter, writer, teacher, art critic, and considered by some to be a political activist. He has been dubbed “The Father of Modern Indonesian Art” and signed his paintings “S. Sudjojono”. Much of his art was an indirect political commentary on the struggles of the Indonesian people against colonialism. His patriotism for his country and his desire to break away from the stereotypical subjects common in Southeast Asian art (e.g., coconut trees, rice fields, and volcanoes) were the strongest influences on his work. He strived to reflect the social realities of Indonesian life and culture during the nation’s colonial and early independence periods in a different way than most artists of his time. For example, his painting titled Bis Kota (“Public Bus”) shows the daily struggles related to transportation in a dense city center.