Be invigorated by From Indonesia with Love<\/p>\n
By Pavan Kapoor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When Indonesian painters express their
\nfascination for their homeland through their paintings - the
\nthoroughbred Indonesian shows through. But when a painter who has
\nlived most of her formative years abroad and then returns to
\npaint her country, the \"East meets West\" flavor is invigorating
\nand intriguing.<\/p>\n
Sasya Tranggono and her teacher of many years, Benny Setiawan,
\nare presenting their works in an exhibition entitled From
\nIndonesia with Love II at Dharmawangsa from Nov. 14 to Nov. 19.<\/p>\n
\"Being an artist came naturally to me,\" says Sasya. \"I knew I
\nwould do something positive in my life and after completing
\nstudies in America, all I knew was that I wanted to paint and
\nspend my hours surrounded with books related to art, studying and
\ncreating an art style.\"<\/p>\n
Sasya finished her B.Sc. in engineering and then accomplished
\nan MBA in the Rotterdam School of Management in General
\nManagement and Human Resource in 1991. The year 1992 saw her
\nstudying mixed media and oil painting under Ben Stolk in The
\nNetherlands. Under Jose Moons and Hans Kemner she also studied
\nsilk painting, gauche and finally in what was to become her
\ndestined medium - watercolors.<\/p>\n
Explaining the difference between From Indonesia With Love
\nexhibition which took place in 1998 and From Indonesia With Love
\nII, Sasya explains her desire to simplify and minimize her
\npaintings, creating a greater impact with just a few colors. As
\nthey say, \"a person of few words is more effective.\"<\/p>\n
She concentrates on a limited number of bold colors, leaning
\ntowards red and black which are symbolic of the chorus of
\nemotions involved in love and hate that each individual
\nexperiences.<\/p>\n
\"The change in my style is a reflection of the process of
\nchange and maturity in the direction of my own life,\" says Sasya
\nreflectively. The result of studying a broad spectrum of art from
\nAmerica and Europe is evidenced in the balance and structure of
\nthe still lifes which dominate Sasya's works. While most of the
\npaintings are eloquently Indonesian with ethnic artifacts, Sasya
\nincludes intrinsically Asian subjects as well. For example the
\nstatue head of Buddha, Chinese ceramics, clay horses, Bali masks,
\nDelft blue ceramics, batik cloth, and the ikat weave.<\/p>\n
Combining the education in Western techniques and the use of
\nAsian subjects is perhaps what gives Sasya's watercolors that
\nperfect blend. The painting Love is a Beautiful Thing (70 x 113
\ncm) was painted in 1999. In it are an array of vases of varying
\nshapes with red and white lilies bending gracefully from their
\nmouths. Oblique light throws intriguing shadows over the vases
\nand some of the petals. The transparency of the glass vases and
\nwhite petals creates the feeling of introspective serenity.<\/p>\n
No Pretensions (55 x 75 cm) is one of Sasya's bright
\nwatercolors featuring a clay horse, a bunch of bananas and a stem
\nheavy with red lilies in full bloom. One notices the young
\npainter's fascination with batik in the intricate design of the
\nbackdrop. The brick-red of the clay horse is balanced with the
\nred leaves and patterned batik on the right side of the painting.
\nThe yellow green bananas synchronize with the green of the batik
\npattern on the left.<\/p>\n
The fascination with Indonesian artifacts and especially the
\npainting of batik cloth patterns is credited to Sasya's teacher
\nof many years, Benny Setiawan, who accompanies her with 25
\npaintings of his own. Benny was a designer of batik patterns on
\ncloth before he decided to shift to painting his mastery of
\ndetail onto paper. Thus emerged a unique style that has made him
\none of the most popular watercolorists in the Jakarta. Benny has
\nalso exhibited in Malaysia and Thailand.<\/p>\n
The use of bold color with gradations of hue is what keeps an
\nonlooker pondering in front of a painting for a little while
\nlonger. The subtle changes in tint by increasing the amount of
\nwater is known to every artist but actually creating scores of
\ncolors so close in hue yet different is perhaps where Benny's
\nmastery of intricate detail lies. The blues change to turquoise
\nin a mosaic of painted lines each a fraction different than the
\nother.<\/p>\n
In his painting Mercu Suar di Pulau (The Island Lighthouse -
\n55 x 37.5 cm), Benny presents a tall, bricked lighthouse with the
\nsea and sky in the background. Lush green vegetation at the base
\nof the lighthouse contrasts with the ochres and browns of the
\nbeach behind. Then waves breaking upon waves roll onto the beach
\nin light transparent blues grading to darker blues in the depths.
\nIn contrast to the delicious blues are ferries and trawlers in
\nblazes of white.<\/p>\n
As in most of his paintings which include landscapes and still
\nlifes, Benny presents views of simplistic themes with a unique
\ndetail in texture and depth created through his effective style
\nof color gradation.<\/p>\n
Art lovers will truly enjoy this diverse collection of
\nbeautiful watercolors painted by teacher and pupil. Joined by a
\nlove of the medium and related through years of study, they
\npresent two distinctive styles reflective of their individual
\ntalents. From Indonesia With Love II should prove to be a truly
\nrewarding experience in the contemporary sense.<\/p>",
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