'Clay painting' inventor still strunggles<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post,Makassar<\/p>\n
Zainal Beta never really dreamed that he would someday earn a
\nreputation as an inventor.<\/p>\n
His artwork, mostly clay paintings, which he conceived by
\naccident, have drawn special attention from noted artists,
\nincluding the late Affandi, one of the country's great painting
\nmasters and the late Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana, a literary
\nluminary. Indeed, Beta has admired his fellow countrymen and art
\npioneers since he was a young child.<\/p>\n
Enal, as Beta is fondly called, utilizes materials and
\ninstruments that few others use. Instead of the usual paints and
\nbrushes, he uses clay, which he applies on the canvas with his
\nown hands with the help of a thin bamboo strip.<\/p>\n
In this way, his "clay paintings" have been viewed as a
\nbreakthrough in the country's world of art.<\/p>\n
Art collectors from home and abroad (such as Germany, the
\nUnited States, Australia, the Netherlands and Japan) are
\nfascinated by the uniqueness of his paintings. He earns kudos
\nalmost every time he exhibits.<\/p>\n
Enal also amazes people with his speed. Usually, he spends
\njust 15 minutes or 20 minutes producing a painting. He takes
\nlonger on human faces.<\/p>\n
"It is the clay processing that takes the time. I need up to
\nthree months because I use the fine part of the clay. Painting
\nitself takes only a few minutes," said Enal, who was born in
\nMakassar on April 9, 1960.<\/p>\n
To date, Enal has made about 1,000 clay paintings. Some of the
\npaintings are made on drawing paper. Canvases were not used much
\nin Makassar until the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
He generally uses social issues as his main theme, for example
\nthe communal lives of fishermen and farmers. He said he also was
\nfond of painting phinisi boats (traditional South Sulawesi boat)
\nsailing through high waves to express his spiritual dynamism.<\/p>\n
Enal keeps on exploring ways to ensure that his work will be
\nof a better quality and long-lasting.<\/p>\n
He studies the structure of the soil he collects from various
\nparts of South Sulawesi and comes to the conclusion that not all
\nsoil types are good for the clay in his paintings. He has also
\ndiscovered 12 soil\/clay colors. Only four, however, are often
\nused: yellow (from Maros regency), black (from Jeneponto), red
\n(from Majene) and gray (from Gowa).<\/p>\n
Amanda, a Dutch art researcher who once did a research project
\non various paintings made with different media in Makassar said
\nthat Enal's paintings were much better in quality because the
\ncolor would not fade over time.<\/p>\n
Enal discovered his painting method accidentally.<\/p>\n
"It was in 1980. A painting exhibition was held in South
\nSulawesi, featuring the work of a lot of the artists from this
\nprovince. That's why we had to produce our best stuff. I was
\nlooking for an idea to be able to produce something unique," he
\nrecalled.<\/p>\n
On his way home from the workshop where he was learning how to
\npaint, somewhere in Ujung Pandang Fort (formerly called Fort
\nRotterdam), his drawing paper fell on to the muddy road. When he
\npicked it up, something unusual struck him.<\/p>\n
"I threw the paper into the mud again and then I picked it up.
\nI found certain motifs that looked like a house, a boat and an
\nanimal."<\/p>\n
The muddy paper accident inspired him to make paintings from
\nclay. Upon arriving home, he tried using some clay to create a
\npicture. The result energized him.<\/p>\n
Now, even S. Sinansari Ecip, then the curator of the
\nexhibition, dubbed his clay painting South Sulawesi's "hidden
\npearl".<\/p>\n
Since them, his pieces have been compared favorably to some of
\nthe top artists in this country by art buffs and art observers.
\nEnal, a father of three, is now called the inventor of clay
\npainting. Since then, he has decided to use clay for all his
\npaintings.<\/p>\n
His father, a war veteran, did not agree with his ambition to
\nbecome a painter. He wanted Enal to be a civil servant. Although
\nnobody in the family was an artist, Enal defiantly made up his
\nmind to become one.<\/p>\n
It was back in 1977 that he learned painting at an art
\nworkshop at Ujung Pandang Fort under the guidance of Bahtiar
\nHafid, a noted local painter.<\/p>\n
Confident of his talent and potential as a painter, he defied
\nhis parents opposition. He continued painting, but he had to hide
\nhis early creations under his mattress at home so his parents
\nwould not see what he had been up to.<\/p>\n
In 1986, the South Sulawesi Association (KKSS) held an art
\nexhibition at Ismail Marzuki Art Park in Jakarta. It became one
\nof the most unforgettable moments for Enal. His perseverance had
\nfinally made his parents change their minds and they let their
\nson choose his life path as a painter.<\/p>\n
It was also during this exhibition that great artist Affandi,
\ncame especially to see him. Affandi expressed his admiration for
\nEnal's work.<\/p>\n
On that same occasion, the artists involved in the exhibition,
\nsuch as Agung Mustika of Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) and
\nsculptor GM Sudarta, now his advisor, officially declared Enal
\nthe inventor of clay painting.<\/p>\n
In the same year, Enal, a member of the Association of
\nSelebassi Artists, also met Alisyahbana at the 5th Indonesian
\nCultural and Literary Gathering. Alisyahbana also admired his
\npaintings.<\/p>\n
Still, Enal, the sixth of 12 siblings, feels awkward to be
\nhonored as the inventor of clay paintings. "It is hard for me to
\naccept being called an inventor. As far as I know, inventors are
\ncalled that only after they die," he said, smiling.<\/p>\n
In mid 2003, his painting titled Nusantara Tragedy II was
\nincluded in 65 major paintings for ASEAN Art Award 2003, a
\nregional competition of two-dimensional fine art. The exhibition
\nsaw the participation of 1,198 artists from 49 cities in
\nSoutheast Asia.<\/p>\n
Despite the label of clay painting inventor that he has
\nreceived from artists, literary men and cultural activists, Enal
\nis yet to patent his invention.<\/p>\n
He has applied for a patent at the South Sulawesi office of
\nthe ministry of justice and human rights twice, but has not got
\nthe patent because they wanted some extra "fees".<\/p>\n
"In 1990, they asked me to pay Rp 2 million (US$225). As I
\ncould not afford it, I canceled my patent application. Today, it
\nmust be much more expensive," he said.<\/p>\n
Aside from his wish to get his invention patented, Enal also
\nwishes to have a solo exhibition. All these years, his works have
\nbeen exhibited in his gallery at Somba Opu Makassar Fort and in
\ngeneral exhibitions.<\/p>\n
He may have talent and a good reputation, but still, Enal
\nlives the modest life of a struggling Asian artist. The family's
\nmain source of income are his paintings, but it often can be
\nsporadic.<\/p>",
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