Pupuk Daru Purnomo, Classical Style in Contemporary Painter

ARTIST DETAILS

Pupuk Daru Purnomo (1964)

Pupuk Daru Purnomo or widely known as Pupuk DP was born in Yogyakarta, June 16, 1964. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Design, the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI), Yogyakarta. During his study in college, his artwork had gain a prize as the Best Painting in the college 7^th anniversary celebration (Dies Natalis VII) and Pratisara Affandi Adhi Karya, from the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI), Yogyakarta.

During his professional career, he has produced a lot of excellent quality paintings. He has also held a number exhibitions such as solo exhibition at Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta (1995), and actively participated in several group exhibitions at Gajah Gallery, Singapore (1997, 2002), Santi Gallery, Jakarta (1998), H. Widayat Museum, Magelang (2001, 2002) and a Group Exhibition in Yogyakarta (2002). He received award as the finalist of Phillip Morris Art Award in 1997.

Pupuk’s style expresses a different genre from other painters in his generation that are mostly grappling with contemporary paintings. His paintings depict and accentuate objects that are captured from daily life, from surroundings, community; many of them are even elapsed from the “modern discourses” like becak rider, herbal medicine seller, etc. Unlike the wave of what so called as a contemporary art, Pupuk mostly explores the objects in simplicity. He doesn’t play with the theme; his strength lies on his scratches and etches that are so impressive and powerful. Many art lovers say that he is largely influenced by the great painter S. Sudjojono but many also argue that he comes with fresher or even distinguished style. During a warm chat between the author and him, Pupuk just simply explained that he is mostly inspired by the style of Javanese letters in his paintings. That’s also simply because he is a Javanese…

Regardless those debates about Pupuk’s style, nobody would however disagree that his paintings have brought a different position in the world of “contemporary art”. The author would opine that he is indeed apart of the entrapment of “contemporaeinity”; he goes forward by bringing back the modern touch but with “post-modern” presentation. Perhaps this is one of “ethnicity now” as shouted by Jim Supangkat, or even cannot be categorized in any slot of categorization. But it’s there, and just simply there.

Discussing about a painter’s contribution to art world would inevitably lead to the collectors’ perspective and exactly at this point, the prices historical record would be counted as one determinant indicator. Dissimilar to other young generation artists who enjoy dramatic skyrocketing prices recently, the prices historical record of Pupuk’s artworks doesn’t show a steep curve of trend or tends to be stable. This is of course not because of inadequate appreciation from market; instead, it indicates a real or natural movement of prices in concomitant with the maturity of the artist creation. The price of Pupuk’s paintings has been constantly increasing since the beginning; and now has been being the expensive one as booked in several prominent auction houses. His paintings are hunted by collectors due to rarity; he is indeed not quite productive especially in oil on canvas painting. And the price will still go forward to seek the new equilibrium.  

Above all, it is not exaggerating that art lovers may devote their expectation for the next maestro in Pupuk DP figure.

Lot: 

 

ARTWORK DETAILS:

Painter                          : Pupuk Daru Purnomo

Subject/ Title                 : Wajah-wajah

Dimension                     : 145 X 115 cm

Media                           : oil on canvas

Signature & remarks      : dated 2000, signed upper: “Pupuk DP, Yogyakarta, 2000”

History/ provenance

of painting                    : authentic with no COA or provenance provided, only limited warranty letter from the present owner/ gallery*. The present owner acquired the painting from a reputable auction house.

Condition                      : The overall is good & well preserved; ready to hang, no trails of restoration or revision are found.

 

Inspiring Realism & Romanticism of Hofker

ARTIST DETAILS

W.G. Hofker (1902 - 1981)

Willem Gerard Hofker was born on 2nd May 1902 in The Hague, the Netherlands, as a son of Gerrit Jan Hofker, public servant with the Postal Services. 

For a while his father was a co-worker of De Nieuwe Gids and befriended members of the Eighties movement. He named his son after the painter Willem Witsen. 

Willem Hofker firstly attended the Haagse Academie and later, at age 14, attended the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. He was also educated by Willem Witsen and Isaac Israel who were friends of his father, an amateur artist and writer, member of the literary movement 'de beweging van Tachtig'. In 1927 Willem Hofker won the 2nd price at the Prix de Rome. In 1930 he married Maria Rueter, also a painter, daughter of Georg Rueter, painter and lector at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. 

In the twenties Hofker concluded a number of monumental-decorative assignments, amongst others for the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (KNSM), for whom he made a few mural paintings on ships. Little is left of these assignments. Hofkers reputation as a portrait painter was such, that he received the assignment in 1936 to paint a portrait of queen Wilhelmina for the head office of the Koninklijke Pakketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) in Batavia, the former Dutch colonies in East-Indies. 

In 1938 the couple accompanied the painting to the Dutch East-Indies and concluded with a trip through the colonies. During this trip they made drawings and paintings of Indonesian subjects which could be reproduced and used by the KPM. 

The Hofker couple settled in Bali where Willem made popular drawings of Balinese landscapes and dancers. The Hofkers socialized with many painters, amongst other Spies, Strasser, Meyer and their good friend Rudolf Bonnet. In 1940 the couple moved to Ubud. In the period between 1938 to 1944 most of Hofker's work in Indonesia was made. His art pieces were refined and flowing, as well as poetic. In Bali he mainly painted temples and religious life on the island and he concentrated on the people of Bali. Many of his paintings are exhibited in Ubud in ARMA and the Neka Museum. 

In the Second World War Hofker and his friend Bonnet were forced by the KNIL (Royal Dutch East-Indies Army) in Surabaya to join the services, upon which his wife and he were interned, by the Japanese occupier, in different camps in 1943, he himself in Tana Toraja, in central Celebes (Sulawesi). During this period most of the sketches of Maria Hofker were lost. At the end of the war the couple did not want to join the Indonesian nationalists and returned to the Netherlands. 

Back in the Netherlands, in 1946, a difficult period arose for the Hofkers. The artistic climate had meanwhile changed entirely. The figurative work of Willem hardly found any recognition among colleagues. Fortunately portrait assignments started coming in quickly. In all Willem Hofker has painted approximately 800 portraits for individuals and for organizations, amongst which universities and banks. Including, in 1970, the portrait of Herman van den Wall Bake, president-director of the Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN). Willem Hofker also specialized in crayon drawings of city scapes of Amsterdam, where he mainly focused on architecture, 'portraits' of houses and cities. These Amsterdam drawings were bundled in three books. The Balinese collection appeared under the title 'Bali as seen by Willem Hofker' (1978). In the Netherlands Willem Hofker still recorded people and landscapes of Bali on paper and canvas. 

During the latter part of his life Willem Hofker has lectured much and also through the publishing of his drawings his reputation increased again. At this moment his Balinese landscapes and dancers are very much in demand. And also internationally the creations from Hofkers Balinese period in the last few years draw much attention. 

Willem Hofker lived in the Zomerdijkstraat in Amsterdam from 1934 to 1938 and from 1946 to 1967. He died in Amsterdam on 30th April 1981.

Another reference:  

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=294197969771

ARTWORK DETAILS:

Painter                                : W.G. Hofker

Subject/ Title                       : 4 span voor bierwagen

Dimension                           : 35 X 63 cm

Media                                 : etch on paper

Signature & remarks          : dated 1947, signed lower left: “W.G. Hofker” with pencil signature.

History/ provenance

of painting                           : authentic with no COA or provenance provided, only limited warranty letter from the present owner/ gallery*. The present owner acquired the painting from private collection of the previous owner.

Condition                             : The overall is good & well preserved; no trails of restoration or revision are found. 
  

SOLD

ARTWORK DETAILS:

Painter                                : W.G. Hofker

Subject/ Title                       : Cathedral - 1949

Dimension                           : 49.5 X 27.5 cm

Media                                 : etch on paper

Signature & remarks            : dated 1949, signed lower left: “W.G. Hofker” with pencil signature.

History/ provenance

of painting                           : authentic with no COA or provenance provided, only limited warranty letter from the present owner/ gallery*. The present owner acquired the painting from prominent auction house.

Condition                             : The overall is good & well preserved; no trails of restoration or revision are found.

SOLD

Tempestuous Graphic Compositions on Djirna's Figures

Artist Details 

I Made Djirna (1957)

Born in 1957 at Kedewatan, Ubud, Bali, I Made Djirna is one of Indonesia’s leading modern painters. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta (Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta) in 1985, and is a member of Sanggar Dewata Indonesia (SDI). The artist, who is rooted in the village culture of Bali, is well-known as one who paints with an exceptionally versatile technique. In an Indonesian art world laden with statements of identity and political concerns, Djirna’s painting stand out as the expression of an acute personal sensitivity.

Djirna is very active in holding and joining exhibitions, both solo and group, in many Indonesian cities as well as overseas. He is known to be very productive and explorative in creating all kinds of experimental works, using various materials, techniques and styles for his art pieces. His themes of choice have an archetypal quality that renders them attractive well beyond the shores of his island of birth. They include the future of the mother, the threat of evil and the slow decaying of an idyllic agrarian world. Most importantly, his works burst with soul. His artistry is documented in a book, Selected Works of Made Djirna from the Year 2000 (2001). Now he lives and works in his home village.

A glance at Djirna’s multifaceted works shows his artistic motivations and the tempestuous emotions that influence his creative process. Djirna passionately transforms lines, colours, texture and figures into all kinds of graphic compositions. Sometimes he refuses to respect order, preferring to use his energy in a desperate effort to capture and eternalize the aesthetic moment, to prevent it from slipping trough his fingers. Consequently, Djirna’s works start out as a visual deconstruction, ordered and harmonious, but as they develop his endeavors to free himself from this discipline become obvious.

*source: Modern Indonesia Art from Raden Saleh to the Present Day

Artwork Details  

Painter                          : Made Djirna

Subject/ Title                 : People in Village

Dimension                     : 70 X 50 cm

Media                           : oil on canvas

Signature & remarks      : dated & signed bottom right: “Djirna 2000”.

History/ provenance

of painting                     : authentic with no COA or provenance shall be provided. The present owner acquired the painting from a prominent auction house.

Condition                      : good & well preserved, it’s ready to hang in good shape.

(Abdullah Family Series) Soedjono Abdullah - Romanticism in Lanscape Painting

Soedjono Abdullah (1911 - 1993)

Soedjono Abdullah was born in Yogyakarta on August 31, 1911 from a very talented artist family. His father, the famous landscape painter Abdullah Suriosubroto was the first Indonesian who graduated from the Academy of Fine Art in Amsterdam Holland during the Dutch colonial era. His younger brother Basuki Abdullah was also a well known painter with international reputation while Tridjata, his sister devoted her professional actualization in sculpting. It was Soedjono’s father, who gave his son early artistic training, including guidances in Barbizon style panoramic painting.

After finishing school, Soedjono worked as a poster maker for several advertisement agencies besides working on painting commissioned by his admirers. Due to the gifted skill in depicting or even beautifying the panoramic scenery on his canvas, he was often considered as a romanticism artist like his younger brother Basuki Abdullah. As he could perhaps be classified as one of “Mooi Indies (lit. Hindia Molek or beautiful Hindia)” genre painters, most of his painting’s objects were characterized stylishly with the aesthetic favors romantic, naturalistic landscape, hazy morning, given preference for scene of green mountain, shimmering reflection of sky fondling with the golden sunshine shining above green paddy field, etc. That “Mooi Indies” style indeed tended to portray country areas with emphasis on iconographies of three elements: mountain, paddy field, and coconut tree.

The great painter Sudjojono indicated without specifically mentioned the names that those “Mooi Indies” painters would be:

1.       Foreign, particularly Dutch colonial painters, who live only 2-3 years in Indonesia

2.       Those who were money-oriented artists.

3.       Local painters who imitate European second-grade painters who were technically sound but did not know whatever they were doing

But rough description of “Mooi Indies” character might or might not be found in Soedjono Abdullah depends on the angle we capture. Soedjono didn’t stop in traditional themes of those “Mooi Indies” objects; he was also very fond in expressing the people's day to day activities in rural areas, such as busy traditional market under the bright red flowered flamboyant tree, or the farmers harvesting their rice field, or the fishermen and their boat on sea and so on; of course without leaving behind the beauty. That’s why although on several paintings he depicted the circumstances of which in actual conditions they might be perceived as “hard-work”, Soedjono had never accentuated that struggle on to his canvas. All those kinds of sweaty work in which farmer plowing his paddy field, or fishermen going off-shore to catch up fishes, they would’ve never been described by Soedjono in that sense.

But Soedjono did never get bothered with all comments or debates of “Mooi Indies” things attributable to him directly or indirectly. He was consistent with his painting style and nothing changed. In fact, when he left Yogyakarta and moved to Salatiga, he had to also endure the difficult era of Japanese occupation in Parangtritis like others. Soedjono Abdullah evolved to become well known for his genre scenes of Javanese life and culture, and also for his romanticized landscapes.

In his old age Soedjono settled down in Kertosono; a small town in East Java, and retreated himself from the uproarious art stage in new era. He passed away there peacefully in July 1993.

 

Painter                          : S. Abdullah

Subject/ Title                 : Mountain Landscape

Dimension                     : 71 X 139 cm

Media                           : oil on canvas

Signature & remarks      : undated, signed lower left: “S. Abdullah”.

History/ provenance

of painting                     : authentic with no COA or provenance shall be provided. The present owner acquired the painting from a prominent auction house.

Condition                       : Good & well preserved, it’s ready to hang in good shape. 
 

SOLD

(Abdullah Family Series) Abdullah Suriosubroto - A Pioneer of Natural Beauty

ABDULLAH SURIOSUBROTO (1878 - 1941)
Born in Semarang 1878, Abdullah Suriosubroto is adopted son of the prominent gentleman behind the National freedom movement Wahidin Sudirohusodo, MD. As expected to be “like father like son”, Abdullah followed his father’s path by enrolling medical school in Batavia (Jakarta). Furthermore, he was also subsequently sent to Netherlands to continue his study in medicine. But instead of studying Medical School, he preferred to enter the Academy of Fine Arts to study painting, where he received a thorough training in Western painting techniques. After coming back to Indonesia, he firmly decided to devote his further career in art. He was at the time widely known as the first Indonesian painter in 20^th century after Raden Saleh who had just started establishing the Indonesian painter reputation in 19^th century. His favorite objects were beauty landscapes from various places and angles.   

As a painter who inherited the “Mooi Indie” genre, Abdullah Suriosubroto was very conversant in expressing the elements of beauty in very detail. He described the object of plants or trees cluster by exposing the rhythm of components from close distance; particularly in his watercolor drawings. Looking at the object, we can sense a dynamic of leafs, twigs and every part of trees object are swaying as blown by the wind in subtle orchestra…  

According to Kusnadi, a fine art lover, it is unfortunate that these joyful and remarkable masterpieces are poorly published; they were treated as only art study materials. Some even critically opined that Abdullah’s paintings just represented a natural journey without in-depth interpretation.      

Regarding to the background, Abdullah Sr. then decided to live in Bandung to get closer with his favorite objects of nature, so he could express the fertility and beauty of Indonesia natural landscape in tranquility, elegance, and harmony. A lot of Bandung painters actually followed his style like Wahdi Sumanta. The father of reputable painters Sudjono Abdullah and Basoeki Abdullah, also trained a number of landscape painters. He spent his life in Bandung a few years before he moved to Yogyakarta for his last exploration of natural beauty for his paintings objects. He passed away there in 1941.   

Painter                          : Abdullah Suriosubroto

Subject/ Title                 : Bamboo Woods

Dimension                     : 74 X 125 cm

Media                           : oil on canvas

Signature & remarks      : undated, signed lower left: “Abdullah”.

History/ provenance

of painting                     : authentic with no COA or provenance shall be provided. The present owner acquired the painting from private collection of the previous owner.

Condition                      : a tiny spot of white fleck on the bottom left corner near to signature. The overall is good; no trails of restoration or revision are found.

SOLD

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.