Ali Umar learned art academically in Sekolah Menengah Seni Rupa, SMSR for short, (art high school), although he had been painting since elementary. Umar made a choice in life to study seriously about fine art with a moral support from his teacher from SMSR when he was in secondary school. Therefore he applied to SMSR for statue art since he was impressed with his higher classmates in making statue.

Umar then continued to FSRD ISI in 1987 at statue art. Umar presented a new style in statue art since at that era, many artists dominantly made figurative model, therefore Umar had a particular style and characteristics in art of statue.

Umar actively paticipated in many exhibition and also experimental art. In Biennal Yogyakarta, Umar performed his statues individually as an opposant at that time.
Artworks of Umar shows his personality which is very sensitive to the sexual reality, actual outside of himself. It is shown in his recent artworks elementeraly and simbolically. In his perspective, seeing reality outside of himself is by putting attitude which gives meaning to his artworks.

A natural idealism for Umar to create is religion, which is must-be-done, customs made personality, and technical discipline. Umar had his own peronal aesthetics, but also communal style, that is his attention to the things outside of himself, particularly events that he assumed representing messages in his artworks.