As a young man, Kerton had many interactions with both Indonesians and Dutch residents. After Indonesian independence, Kerton joined with other artists working with the new national government of
Sukarno, and became an
artistic journalist. His drawings documented the Indonesian independence efforts on the battlefield, at the negotiation table, and in secret underground meetings. During the
Indonesia revolution period, Kerton's ideology went along with the anti-Dutch movements that he had to move from
Jakarta to
Yogyakarta. Through his sketches and drawings, he immortalized several important historical events, including
the sovereignty transfer from the Dutch to Indonesia in 1949. His fierce sense of nationalism carried over into his work, and many of his paintings convey a sense of pride in his country. In the early 1950s, Kerton studied art and life in very different cultures in
Europe, including
the Netherlands and
France. He also visited
Mexico, where he studied the role of artists during the
Mexican revolution. Kerton studied at the
Art Student League at
New York City, where he learned from
Yasuo Kuniyoshi and
Harry Sternberg. Kerton’s woodcut entitled Homeward was chosen by the
UNICEF for their Christmas card in 1964. The woodcut depicts a family returning home from a daily work at the fields. Kerton settled in the New York City, married, and raised a family. He returned to Indonesia in 1976. Everyday life in Indonesia became his constant theme, in which he put tones to bold colors and vivid scenery. ==See also==