Island of salt explored through Soemadji's works<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Javanese artist Soemadji brings to life his memories and
\nappreciation of Madura, or the island of salt as it is known, in
\na series of paintings currently on display at the Sambung Seni
\nart gallery here in Keloran, Tirtonirmolo, Bantul.<\/p>\n
His emotional ties with the island stem from his experiences
\nin Bangkalan, Madura, in the early 1960s, where he gave painting
\nlessons to kindergarten children and high school students. Though
\nhe was born in Berbek, Nganjuk, East Java, he has lived on Madura
\nsince the '60s.<\/p>\n
For Soemadji, the ethnic violence in Kalimantan that forced
\nthousands of Madurese to return to their hometowns was a time of
\nsadness for the plight of these people. He poured out his
\nobservations of life in Madura into a series of paintings.<\/p>\n
Since 2000, he has produced dozens of paintings on Madura and
\nits people, most of which depict daily life on the island. Most
\nof the paintings were done when living among the refugees.<\/p>\n
"This is my way of showing my deep love for Madura, where I
\nlive and make a living. I'm trying to picture life in Madura on
\ncanvass," said Soemadji, who turned 69 on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
The 60 oil paintings, mostly in bright colors, include
\ndepictions of traditional bull races, called karapan sapi, the
\npopular street satay vendors and the beautiful scenery along the
\nisland's coast. The exhibition will conclude on Sunday<\/p>\n
"Through the paintings I would like to introduce the beauty of
\nthe island and the culture of the Madurese, who find it very
\ndifficult to accept the cultures of others, which is why local
\ntraditions and culture are still well maintained."<\/p>\n
In Soemadji's view, the beauty of the island's hinterland,
\ncoastal areas and the yet unexplored sea is no less attractive
\nthan similar attractions in other regions.<\/p>\n
Madura, according to Soemadji, should not only be associated
\nwith karapan sapi or satay street vendors, because there are so
\nmany other attractions that deserve notice.<\/p>\n
In short, he wants people to explore and appreciate Madura.<\/p>\n
"In a kerap (Madurese term for karapan sapi), for example,
\nit's not just the race that matters. There are a series of
\nprocessions ahead of and after the kerap and all have their own
\nmeaning," he said.<\/p>\n
It is not surprising, then, that Soemadji is exhibiting six
\ndifferent paintings on the karapan sapi in order to show people
\nall of the karapan-related rituals.<\/p>\n
The paintings are Minum Jamu (73x94 cm), Dikarantina (66x90
\ncm), Berangkat Kerap (77x97 cm), Siap Kerap (70x92cm), Kerap
\n(67x97 cm) and Menang (75x92 cm).<\/p>\n
Minum Jamu (Drinking herbal beverage) depicts the tradition of
\ntreating the participating bulls with traditional medicine made
\nfrom a mixture of chicken eggs and fermented sugar palm wine
\n(called tuak aren). A bull receives this mixture for a year
\nbefore it races.<\/p>\n
Dikarantina (Under quarantine) shows bulls being groomed for
\nthe race in a secret location in order to avoid attacks by
\nrivals.<\/p>\n
Berangkat Kerap (Leaving for the race) is an image of a bull
\nleaving for the karapan, accompanied by traditional music.<\/p>\n
Siap Kerap (Ready for the race) depicts the last minutes
\nbefore the race, as the contestants wait their turn.<\/p>\n
Kerap (The race) depicts a karapan sapi race in which three
\nteams of bulls compete.<\/p>\n
Menang (Champion) pictures the ceremony held to present the
\nprize to the winners of the race.<\/p>\n
Other paintings in the exhibit include Jual Sate I-III
\n(Selling satay part I to III), Ambuten (the name of a beach in
\nnorthern Sumenep), Cadik (a small fishing boat for one
\npassenger), Istri-istri Nelayan (Fishermen's wives), Nongkrong
\n(Hanging out), Petan (an activity where people, usually women,
\nclean each other's hair) and Pasar Buah Tanah Merah (Tanah Merah
\nfruit market).<\/p>\n
"I want the art world to know that Madura has potential that
\ncan be explored, fathomed and actualized on canvas. I also want
\nto wake up the Madurese to open their eyes and explore the art
\nworld of the island that has been for so long dominated by
\noutsiders," Soemadji said.<\/p>\n
Soemadji is a graduate of the School of Painting\/Sculpture of
\nthe Indonesian Fine Arts Academy in Yogyakarta (1953) and the
\nSchool of Illustration\/Graphics at the same academy (1959).<\/p>\n
He was one of the 10 young Yogyakarta-based artists who helped
\nestablish the well known art workshop Sanggar Bambu in 1954,
\nalong with artist Soenarto PR.<\/p>\n
He has taken part in numerous joint exhibitions, while
\ncontinuing in his main profession as a teacher and later a high
\nschool principal in Sumenep and Bangkalan. The exhibition at
\nSambung Seni is his first solo exhibition.<\/p>\n
Soemadji believes an artist has to be able to make
\nhimself\/herself a medium for inspiration.<\/p>\n
An artist, he said, has to keep communicating through their
\nart, which will in turn enrich and strengthen the nation's
\ncultural life.<\/p>\n
"With that in mind, I have always tried to manage my time to
\npaint in my spare time as a teacher."<\/p>",
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