Jakarta Java Kini - Jakarta's City Magazine

The managing director of a Jakarta-based international auction house raps with JJK about his belief that Indonesian art is set to scale even greater heights on the international scene

EVERYONE HAS HIS OR HER OWN VIEW OF THE meaning of art.  For an avid art collector such as Deborah Iskandar though, art is about more than just the design of objects and artefacts. “To me, art is an appreciation of the sophistication and delicacy of striking elements of artistic forms such as painting and sculpture that one can enjoy anytime and anywhere. Art is also an interesting topic for discussion and study, one that you can share with your friends, especially if they are collectors themselves,” she explains.

Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama in the US, Deborah first came to Jakarta as an investment banker in 1991 and has been living here ever since. A certified public accountant, Deborah’s savvy in the fields of finance and business enables her to deliver quality advice to clients, not only about building their collections but, no less important, also regarding the harvesting of profit from shrewd investment insights.

Deborah’s passion for art has spurred her to embark on a 16-year journey through the international art scene. In 2008, she was asked by Sotheby’s, one of the world’s oldest auction houses, to help them establish a Jakarta office and she has headed Sotheby’s Indonesia since 2009. Her main duties include offering advice to clients seeking to build their art collections through Sotheby’s.