Born in 1941 in Klakah, Lumajang, East Java, S. Jikan B.A (施如钢) is a painter known for his dedication to portrait and figurative art. His artistic journey began in the 1960s when he studied at the Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia (ASRI) Yogyakarta in 1965, and later earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from IKIP Negeri Surabaya.

Throughout his artistic development, S. Jikan was mentored by the late Chen Jinrong, a renowned educator, fine artist, and stage backdrop painter. Under his guidance, S. Jikan mastered various techniques, including watercolor, pastel, pencil drawing, and sketching. His frequent outdoor painting sessions and live model studies helped him understand anatomy, character, and human expression in depth.

Over the years, his persistence and passion have shaped a distinctive style, especially in portrait and human figure painting. In the past five years, he has been particularly focused on working with soft pastel on acrylic surfaces, combining realist and impressionist approaches to bring life, emotion, and subtle vibrancy to his subjects.

The artist’s first work to be offered at auction was “Two Balinese Children Performing the Deer Dance” (1991), an oil-on-canvas painting sold at Venduehuis der Notarissen in 2020. This marked a milestone in his artistic career, introducing his work to the broader international art market.