September 22nd, 1939 in Palembang, Amri Yahya was born. Both of his parents were farmers, and neither of them could read. The family was poverty-stricken. When Amri turned 12, his father passed away. Since then, every day after school, he had to help his mother with her work at the field. As he grew older, his interest in art grew, and he decided to attend the Indonesian Art Academy (ASRI) in Yogyakarta. After he graduated, he focused entirely on becoming an artist. His hard work bore fruit, as he became a member of UNESCO's International Association of Art in Paris, France.

In Yogyakarta, he met a woman that soon became his second wife. Her name was Soed, and she owned a batik business. The union of the two piqued Amri's interest to creatively explore and experiment with batik, giving birth to the contemporary art of batik painting.

            Amri's interest in batik went deep. He conducted his own research into the art and wrote a book on it titled "The Art of Batik Painting as a Means to Raise Appreciation for Contemporary Art". Amri was not only an artist but also a teacher in several universities in Yogyakarta, and he was one of the major proponents for contemporary batik painting in Indonesia.