Soeki Irodikromo studied art at the CCS ‘School voor Beeldende Kunsten’ in Suriname and at the ‘Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten’ in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He was also trained in Ceramics in the Netherlands and in Batik at the ‘Academi Seni Rupa Indonesia’ in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Soeki has been teaching ceramics for many years, starting first from his home in Paramaribo, but currently from the ‘Soeki Irodikromo Volksacademie voor Kunst en Cultuur’, of which he is one of the founders.

The main artistic driving force of Soeki Irodikromo, in his paintings, ceramics as well as in his previous batik work, is without a doubt the spectacular cultural and ethnic diversity present in Suriname. His work is colorful, exuberant and skillfully infused with rhythm and movement. Dance and other typical cultural manifestations, complete with corresponding symbolisms, attributes and objects, from various cultures including his own Javanese background, are his main sources of inspiration. In his work he brings them all together, thus presenting and promoting the cultural fusion that he so strongly advocates.

In 2018 the artist traveled to Indonesia to revisit, to explore, and to introduce his children to the land of their ancestors and to the place where he received an important part of his art education. It was a profound cultural experience that inspired several of the new works in Soeki’s solo-exhibition MURNI in August that same year.