Rusli, the Avant-garde Painter

ARTIST DETAILS

Rusli (1916)

Rusli was born in 1916 at Medan, North Sumatra from the family of farmer of tobacco plantation at Padangbulan, North Sumatra. He spent his childhood at his home village, finished his elementary school (HIS) at there and continued his study at Jogjakarta. When choosing his further study, he initially preferred to learn medical science but he finally turned it out to the attraction of ideas and thinking from Rabindranath Tagore, a philosopher and cultural expert from India. Hence, he then decided to continue his study in Kala Bhawana Dept of Art, Shantiniketan University of Rabindranath Tagore at India. He spent his time about 5 to 6 years in India studying pure painting art, fine art of mural and relief, architecture, as well as eastern art philosophy of Shantiniketan tradition and thought.  

        

Going back home from India, he directly participated in Indonesian physical revolution for independence struggle against to the colonialist. He wasn’t of course joining the war by upholding a gun but he participated in education to become a teacher in Taman Siswa School at Jogjakarta, a school that was established by some Nationalist native scholars and dedicated for people education. During 1945-1949, besides actively teaching in Taman Siswa, he was also appointed to manage Art Dept of the Defense Forces of the Republic of Indonesia. At the same time, he was also actively involved in art activities by assuming several positions as the Chairman of Art Community and the Chairman of Indonesian Youth Artists in Jogjakarta.          

After the era of revolutionary war, in 1951, Rusli was designated to become a lecturer in Indonesian Fine Art Academy (ASRI) at Jogjakarta (of which now has changed to Indonesian Art Institute or ISI). He was indeed an opponent to the inception of PERSAGI or Persatuan Ahli Gambar in 1938; an organization pioneered by some senior painters like Sudjojono that was established to accommodate Indonesian artists’ activities. He was the only one who decline to join as according to his awareness, he was a painter, not a drawer (Persatuan Ahli Gambar means The Association of Drawer Experts). What a significant difference concept between both had turned Rusli to explicitly stand out in his viewpoint. At the time, a title of “painter” was indeed not as popular as a “drawer”; a title that people commonly called to painters.   

Appreciating his achievement, he then obtained an opportunity to travel around Western Europe in 1953-1956, based on an invitation of Sticusa; a Dutch cultural institution in Indonesia that is now recognized as Erasmus Huis. Public in Europe obviously appreciated so much his artworks as shown in his sequential exhibitions in Rome, Den Haag, and Amsterdam. At the time of his exhibition in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, at Kunst Zaal Plaats Den Haag, and Ismeo Roma, he was bestowed with warm appreciation from a lot of Western journalist as a master with perfect technique.

Rusli continued his extraordinary track record in 1960 when he was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the International of Plastic Art UNESCO (IAPA) in Indonesia. In 1970, he was designated to assume a long-life member of Jakarta Academy; the board of advisors to DKI Jakarta Governor in art and culture.   

In the modern world when people experience more complicated phenomenon and faster turbulence of alteration, an artist would therefore need to intensify his/ her observation upon objects. In the grappling with the objects of his works, the artist should first select and contemplate over the details to grab the essence. This process normally takes longer time then the expression itself, particularly with the exercise of “ala prima” technique that requires just once etching to final.        

So did Rusli. In the process of creating his painting, he always first explored his objects through thorough observation and contemplation. The objects that poured onto canvas through transparent lines and put in empty space brought clarity of Rusli’s effort in capturing the essence of objects. Exactly at this point, most art experts value this process as delivering a poetic soul on canvas.  

Rusli was initially known as a watercolor painter who frequently used small media in around 25 X 40 sizes. According to him, painting with oil or acrylic on canvas wouldn’t be as difficult as painting in watercolor. He said he loved challenge so that’s why he enjoyed painting those difficult. But further in his career, he didn’t stop to explore and expand his media of paintings so that at recent, the art lovers may’ve seen a lot of Rusli’s paintings are laid down on canvas, board, paper, as well as using various materials such as watercolor, oil, pen or acrylic.    

Rusli’s style is attributable to what experts say as a phenomenon of lyrical painting art (soul outpouring) that was seldom to follow by most painters in that era. The style is classified in the genre of neo-impressionistic, semi abstract or sometimes expressionistic. The paintings’ white background is a manifestation of cosmic. The scratches of some tropical (or even minimalist) colors on his paintings that are composed of various once instant etchings actually reflect Rusli’s viscous comprehension towards nature and life. Due to that “lines language”, most laypeople would not be easy to digest and comprehend his artworks. A friend of him, Umar Kayam, mentioned him as an Avant-garde Painter, a call name that later popularize Rusli’s paintings.

Rusli, a veteran artist comparable to Afandi, Sudjojono and Hendra Gunawan, is known by his colleagues as a prominent figure of reformer of Indonesia painting art. Besides his consistency and detail keenness in his artistic components including his signing inscription, date of work completion, and his right thumb marking that are always appended on his paintings, he is also an essentialist painter in all angles and terms. He sought to accentuate the essence, content over the cover, depth over the surface; and those are reflected in his basic principle; a plainness and simplicity in his paintings and life. For him, painting is not merely a profession; but more correctly as way of life, devotion and dedication. As a painter, he produced strong character in his paintings although they look simple in colors and space at a glance. But they’re always captivating. 

Rusli is indeed always a great painter ever after... 

LOT #7

ARTWORK DETAILS

• Title             : Jukung Boat
• Type            : oil on canvas
• Dimension    : 40 X 50 cm   
• Year             : 1973
• Condition      : framed, very good and well preserved, ready to hang
• Signature      : signed "Rusli" and marked with thumb sign

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated. 

Maturity in 50s; a Powerful Abstract of Hanafi

ARTIST DETAILS

‘SAAT USIA LIMA PULUH’ – HANAFI

By Richard Horstman (Writer)

http://www.studiohanafi.com/studiohanafi/

At its very core abstract art serves to allow that which is unintended or unexpected by the practitioner to become manifest.  In its absence of design elements, construct forms or recognizable images, it is the creations ‘designlessness’ that becomes the all apparent visual feature.

In celebration of his 50^th year Indonesian contemporary artist Hanafi presents a powerful body of work for display at the Komaneka Fine Art Gallery in Ubud. Originally premiering in April at the National Gallery in Jakarta, the exhibition is currently showing from the 24^th July until the 24^th August 2010.

Titled, ‘Saat usia lima puluh’ ( The Age of 50 ), the  artist presents 30 canvases and 1 installation for our contemplation.  The paintings are explorations into the genre of abstraction. Born in Purworejo (Central Java) 5^th July 1960, Hanafi was educated at School of Fine Arts Indonesia (SSRI) Yogyakarta, 1976 – 1979 and he currently works and resides in Bandung, West Java.

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and science.” Albert Einstein words are a means for us to understand that the unknown is indeed a wonderful experience. The element of mysteriousness is alive and well within the works of this exhibition. Hanafi’s acute strength is in his ability to strike a poetic balance within these abstract compositions.

The paintings minimal fundamentals are color, texture and form. The artist organizes the spaces within the confines of the canvas and explores the possibilities. Hanafi’s non descript ‘lines and shapes’ offer no tangible conclusions of his intentions, direction or structure. We may appreciate their beauty simply because the artist ‘grants them permission’ to exist. 

Hanafi’s subdued earthy colors (charcoal black, dirty off white beiges, greens and grays) used to express his feelings at no time overpower the architecture of the forms that are present. The colors he utilizes emphasize and in fact serve as a potent feature of his expressions. They evoke emotions and feelings that at first may seem out of place yet confirm the very notions of what modern art strives to achieve; to allow the artist and the observer the opportunity to appreciate and experience new possibilities.

The acrylic medium is applied with rollers which are manipulated to build up, reduce or smear the paint on application. The contrasting textures achieved add  interesting and subtle optical stimulus. Light reflects from the ‘valleys and peaks’ within the grainy surface. Ripples appear like waves in motion flowing across the open expanse of the canvas. The outer edges of the roller also produces thicker lines or ‘tracks’ that meander upon the works surface.  At times he scores or combs the paint with blunt instruments in even or circular actions producing non descript lines that reveal the colored tones beneath the surface. The varying sized canvases ranging in dimensions from 96 x 82 cm up to 220 x 270 cm add to the visual drama of the abstractions.

What is also interesting about these works is the eclectic titles Hanafi gives to his creations. ‘Burung Tua’ (Old Bird), ‘Jendela Kamar Ayah’ (Window in my Father’s Room), ‘Aku Mau Tinggal Disini’ ( I  Want to Live Here). These titles when paired with the paintings appear equally as abstract as the images they are complementing.

There is a sophisticated ‘edge’ or essence that is accomplished in these spontaneous creations.  Hanafi understands his process reflects an attitude of limitlessness and the need to take risks to unable him to explore true freedom of expression.  He is not aiming to define or explain, he is ‘pluming the depths’ of his psyche. Indeed there is a spiritual quality at play within the manifestation of these compositions that invites the artist to go beyond that which he has identified and made rational to access the anonymous and unfamiliar.

Hanafi’s installation ‘Memandang Terbalik’ (Hanging Upside Down) offers a credible contrast to his painted abstractions. The work features 15 black fiber glass figures (83 x 39 x 15 cm) hanging upside down, with their hands on their heads, in a somewhat relaxed pose, connected to a circular pipe fixed to the walls and the ceiling. This thought provoking work appears to be reflecting on mankind’s dilemma, through his own complacency he has surrendered to his role within the automated and industrialized modern era despite its obvious dangers and short comings.

The unexplained elements of Hanafi’s creations immediately capture our attention and imagination. Revealed are fleeting glimpses at a greater source of universal consciousness that brings ‘new light’ or meaning to the mysterious qualities of his paintings. Generally man tends to fear that which he does not understand. When we are able to appreciate and accept that which is initially confronting, we may intuitively feel a sense of safety and then we are allowed a greater control over elements we incorrectly perceive as being outside of our dominion. 

There is an obvious intelligence and unique sensitivity in Hanafi’s artistic endeavors. His works aids to ‘raise the veil’ between the worlds of the physical and the esoteric.

ARTWORK DETAILS

 

Title                  : Blue Abstract

Type                 : oil on canvass

Dimension         : 115 X 115 cm                                        

Year                 : 2009

Condition           : built-in framed in minimalist style, very good and well preserved, ready to hang

Signature           : signed on the bottom right corner; Hanafi, '09

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated.

The Return of Maestro; Maria Tjui

ARTIST DETAILS

Maria Tjui (1934) 

Maria Tjui was born on 14^th of May 1934 at Pariaman, West Sumatera. Initially she learned painting from the old Master S. Sudjojono at Seniman Indonesia Muda, Yogyakarta during 1955-1958. She then furthered her study in sculpturing at Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia (ASRI – Indonesia Fine Art Academy), Yogya during 1961-1963. 

Having graduated from ASRI, she decided to move to Bali and has been staying there at Peliatan Village (Desa Peliatan) since then. She’s been further exploring the art works and grappling with the Balinese life along time. Together with some Peliatan painters, she also established the Sanggar Purnama, an art studio.

In 1967, she made a tour around some Asian countries for 3 years. During her overseas trip, she organized several single exhibitions abroad. She continued exhibiting her artworks at several cities in Indonesia after returning back to the motherland.

In 1991, Maria again launched her paintings in joined exhibition with International painters representing 67 countries around the world. This exhibition was arranged by International Advisory Committee, Very Special Arts at John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC, US. 

Circa 2003 she was having a serious complicated disease causing her to be absent for 2 years from her art activities. She could’ve fortunately recovered from illness and came back to art world by organizing her 1^st exhibition after getting recovered at Balai Budaya Jakarta in 2005. “Like a withered old plant, I’ve early grown up again. I’m so grateful to still be given a chance to work again”.    

Balai Budaya hall, the place in which she used to exhibit her artworks in the past, escorted her return and ostensibly regained its vivid spirit. The building witnessing Maria’s long-standing story of creation had ever been vacant after suffering the massive flood few years back then.     

Maria is remarkably known as a natural painter. She portrays any objects that are caught and sensed; she has never confined the types or styles of object she wants to paint. She has a great wish that someday she will build an art museum at Nusa Dua Bali. At the land she bought few years ago, she wants to enshrine all artworks masterpiece in the museum she plans to develop. She prefers Bali as the island has been being forefront as the tourist destination all around the world. In fact, the people also very respect, love and welcome to the arts so that we may have seen so far that a lot of painters have chosen Bali life for their inspirations.


LOT #5

ARTWORK DETAILS

Title                  : Balinese Festive Celebration at Temple

Type                 : oil on canvass

Dimension         : 60 X 50 cm

                        : 76.5 X 66.5 X 4.5 cm (framed)                          

Year                 : 1978

Condition           : framed, very good and well preserved, already varnished and ready to hang

Signature          : singed on the bottom left corner; 1978, Maria Tjui

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated.

Dullah, the Presidential Palace Painter Who Spent His Time in Plain Life

ARTIST DETAILS

Dullah (1919 - 1996)

Dullah was born in Solo in 1919. This self made artist has once admitted that Affandi and S.Soedjojono were his great teachers, but in fact his creations which obviously followed the school of realism were quite divergent to the works of the above two great masters. Since the early days of the independence, Dullah was very close to Soekarno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia.

He was therefore appointed by Soekarno to take care of all of the President’s art possessions and at the same time as curator of the state painting collections. He often accompanied the president on his trips domestically as well as abroad.

It was Dullah who selected 206 paintings from Soekarno's private collections with China experts that were photographed and then reproduced in the "deluxe" two volumes oversize monograph in a very limited edition print in the People's Republic of China in 1956. The text by Soekarno and Dullah was in four languages: Indonesian, Chinese, English and Russian. Due to the limited  edition (only 6000 copies), the two volumes of deluxe monographs were only distributed to selected individuals and art collectors, and the supply did soon run out (The second publication of President Soekarno's art collection was in five volumes, compiled by the painter Lee Man Fong, printed in Japan in deluxe edition, and widely sold and distributed throughout the country).

After no longer in charge as palace artist, Dullah returned back to his hometown Solo and settled there with his family, but spent most of his creative time in Bali together with a group of his pupils. The group settled in Ubud and then moved to Pejeng. Dullah also ran an art gallery in Mas where most of his good works were on display for sales. Many of his paintings were bought by foreign tourists and the local art collectors which made his name widely famous as a prominent realistic artist painter in Indonesia. 

At the age of 70, Dullah built his museum in Solo all by his own without any financial succors from the government or other private institutions. This was done as his dedication to the love of art over his creative lifetime. All Dullah's paintings exhibited in this museum are breathtaking in their scope and sensitive in their drama.

In 1996 Dullah peacefully passed away in this place, bequeathing to the next art loving generation to come, his own "one-man-built" museum which now proudly stands as a cultural landmark, open to any visitor with love for the arts.


LOT #4

ARTWORK DETAILS

Title                  : Grandma Profile

Type                 : oil on canvass

Dimension         : 60 X 50 cm                             

Year                 : unknown

Condition           : excellent, framed, already varnished and ready to hang.    

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated.  

Koempoel, the Almost Forgotten Legend

ARTIST DETAILS

Koempoel Sujatno (1912-1987) 

He was born in 1912 at Paron Village, Ngawi, East Java, Indonesia. His father was an officer of the railroads service company of Dutch Indische government during colonialism era. He still inherited royal blood from his ancestor, RA. Prawirodidjo, who was also known as the Prince Sentot Ali Basah Prawirodirjo. Such condition enabled him to enroll study at technical school (HIS) at Surabaya, the capital city of East Java, which was later proven to be beneficial for his painting technique development.  

Koempoel’s talent attracted Van Staal, the School Headmaster’s attention. He recommended Koempoel to the naturalist maestro Gerard Pieter Adolfs, one of the proponents of Mooi Indie (beautiful Indie) style. During 1928-1932 Adolfs taught Koempoel some realistic representation techniques that would become a key of his success in the future. Since then, Koempoel continued exploring Surabaya downtown crowds and sceneries for his painting objects. 

When Koempoel followed his parent to move to Malang, a comfortable city situated at uplands, one day he met the realistic painter Willem van der Does who keenly saw his special talent and offered him to become his teacher. Koempoel learned painting further to Van der Does for over 7 years. In 1935, an obstetrician named dr. Soerodjo was so amazed with Koempoel’s works so that he decided to sponsor Koempoel’s 1^st exhibition in Malang.  

After independence proclaimed in 1945, the Dutch government launched a military operation during 1945-1947 motivating Koempoel to also participate in defense struggle. He actively participated in producing and distributing the heroic pamphlets and posters throughout Surabaya and Malang to flame up people’s struggling spirit.  

During 1950-1970, Koempoel was on the peak performance and recognized as one of the most productive painters in Indonesia, although fine art community in that era somewhat a bit ignored his works. Some criticized that he was too commercial and his works could’ve fallen to be “mechanical” as he could replicate one object of painting few times just to meet his buyers’ request. But he didn’t care and never stopped producing his artworks to satisfy a lot of collectors and art lovers. He kept working until passed away on 18^th of August 1987, aged 75 due to throat cancer he suffered. He left his wife behind without any children; only 1 painting found remaining in his house when he died.

Approximately 2500 Koempoel artworks have however been spread widely around the globe; from Surabaya, Singapore to Amsterdam, from art laymen to major collectors, from modest house to the President’s Palace of Indonesia, and being traded in retail up to luxurious galleries and major auctioneers such as Christie and Sotheby’s. 

Just early in 2004, to commemorate and respect the late Koempoel’s devotion to art, G&G Foundation launched 348 pages book titled “The Maestro Koempoel Sujatno: Tracing the Old Historical City of Soerabaia”. This glossy luxurious hard-covered book summarized around 100 pieces of Koempoel’s works. The book production was prepared in 3 years long and distributed internationally.  An art expert, Dr. Jean Couteau from French commented in this book that the series of old Surabaya life as captured on Koempoel’s paintings exercised blurred colors and impressionistic style; because it depicted objects not in their natural shapes but more likely posed their nuance and ambience instead. The book launching itself was attended not less than 300 VIPs representing the Koempoel’s artwork lovers. 


LOT #3

 

ARTWORK DETAILS

• Title                  : Kalimas Harbor
• Type                 : oil on canvass
• Dimension         : 63 X 113 cm   
• Year                 : -
• Condition           : framed, very good and well preserved, ready to hang
• Signature          : signed on the bottom right corner; “Koempoel” 
• Provenance       : private collection

The above painting was acquired from a private collector to whom Koempoel was closely befriended during his life. There was NO written provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece of artwork is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated.  

The object depicts the scenery of Kalimas Harbor Surabaya, along with the activities surrounding in the era of early post-colonialism in Indonesia.

Original Indonesian Lanscape Painting of Dezentje

ARTIST DETAILS

Ernest Dezentje (French/Javanese, 1884-1972)

Self taught artist of French origin, Dezentje was born in 1885 at Jatinegara, Jakarta, Indonesia. He was often associated with the early "Indonesian School" of painting. He was mostly a self-taught artist of mixed parentage who took up painting just early at the age of 31.

He was a member of the Bataviasche Kunstkring, with whom he also exhibited his artworks. He had participated in several exhibitions during his active period, such as solo exhibition in Jakarta in 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939. After World War II he eventually decided to become an Indonesian national.

Known mainly as a landscape artist, Dezentjé worked primarily in Indonesia, although his artworks are collected by a number of prominent collectors around the world. Former President Soekarno, the 1^st President of Indonesia presented some paintings of Dezentje for the former President Tito of Yugoslavia and several Russian Leaders. 

Dezentje taught several artists, and trained his adopted son Djupriany as a painter. As many Indonesian artists adopted more avant-garde styles, some accused the paintings of Dezentjé as "tasteless, stereotypical tropical” scenes. Nonetheless, he had in fact inspired a lot of painters to adopt or follow his painting style, of which some experts frequently classify it as “Mooi Indie” genre. Reputable auction houses such as Christie and Sotheby’s regularly display Dezentje’s artworks on their catalogs.

LOT #1

ARTWORK DETAILS

• Title                 : Cloudy Paddies Field and Mountain Landscape
• Type                : oil on canvass
• Dimension        : 60 X 90 cm, 101 X 131 X 5 cm (framed)                               
• Year                 : unknown
• Condition          : restored from damage, framed, already varnished and ready to hang.    

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated. This is one of a kind of VERY UTMOST RARE landscape painting upon which the painter described the sky in cloudy condition.  

LOT #2

 

ARTWORK DETAILS

• Title                 : Paddies Field and Mountain Landscape
• Type                : oil on canvass
• Dimension        : 82 X 135 cm                               
• Year                 : unknown
• Condition          : excellent, framed, already varnished and ready to hang.    

The above painting was acquired from a reputable official art auction house. There was NO provenance or COA provided. However, to the best of seller’s knowledge, we guarantee that the aforementioned piece is 100 % original and genuinely produced by the said painter as stated.