Japanese, Indonesian artists meet on common ground<\/p>\n
By Pavan Kapoor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The start of a new year is a good time for
\nrenewing relationships and reinforcing cultural bonds.<\/p>\n
So when a new millennium dawns, it is only fitting that the
\nidealized domain of art serve as a tool of intercultural
\ndialogue.<\/p>\n
Art Exchange 2000 Indonesia - Japan is an amalgamation of the
\nabstract art of four Indonesian artists and four Japanese
\nartists. The exhibition was opened on March 15 by Japanese
\nAmbassador to Indonesia Takao Kawakami at the Japan Foundation on
\nJl. Sudirman in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The four Japanese artists displayed various themes and styles
\nin mixed media. Particularly eye-catching were the three-
\ndimensional works of Hironori Hagiwara, who painted on serrated
\npaper cut in various triangular forms and placed in linear
\nequilibrium.<\/p>\n
It reminds one of the Ikebana flower arrangements which aim
\nfor transcendental beauty in every angle. Just as full blooms are
\nharmonized with twigs and artistically crooked sticks, the paper
\nwedges in Hironori's works entitled Stick Moves seem to hang in
\nsymmetric and aesthetic equations.<\/p>\n
Kazuyuki Uno presents a number of works in paint and print. A
\nblack-and-white maze is crisscrossed with stark red lines,
\ncreating a fascinating 3-D effect for the observer. Born in
\nChiba, Japan, Kazuyuki studied art at the Tokyo National
\nUniversity of Fine Art and Music and has participated in numerous
\nsolo and group exhibitions.<\/p>\n
Kazuyuki questions perceptions of reality in the abstract
\nblack-and-white prints in his works. He tries to portray the
\ndilemma that the real and tangible in life are indeed as elusive
\nas his fleeting landscapes and settings. In Landscape of Mimesis,
\nhe presents images of architecture nature as they emerge and
\nsubmerge in our view. People, animals and vegetation are also
\nelusively portrayed.<\/p>\n
Kozo Matsuda is a Japanese artist who revels in the fusion of
\nEuropean watercolor techniques and his Japanese artistic roots.
\nBorn in Saga-Ken, Kozo studied art in Tokyo, France and
\nSwitzerland.<\/p>\n
Kozo's Hortensias IOB shows limpid squares of soft, flowing
\nwatercolors punctuated with smudges of transparent flowers placed
\nin geometric pattern, expressing simultaneously the Japanese love
\nfor order and beauty.<\/p>\n
The fourth Japanese artist, Tetsuo Onari, chooses to stymie
\nthose observers who would read the title of the piece and then
\nwork toward understanding the artist's point of view.<\/p>\n
He leaves his simple and small frames untitled and urges
\npeople to find their own meanings. Tetsuo graduated from the
\nTokyo University of Fine Arts and has exhibited his works in
\nJapan, Korea and Bali.<\/p>\n
Tetsua expresses the complications of life in vibrantly
\ncolored canvases on which there are colored dots, including his
\nwork Route 14.<\/p>\n
There are four Indonesian painters displaying their works at
\nthe exhibition, some of who have previously exhibited in Japan.<\/p>\n
Sulebar M. Soekarman was born in Bandung and has been involved
\nin art since he was small. His large colorful canvases are placed
\non the right side of the entrance of the exhibition hall,
\ncatching the eye of those entering the hall. In Nature of
\nJakarta, intricate batik cloth and magazine clippings combine
\nwith bright paint to form an attractive and thought-provoking
\nwork.<\/p>\n
Souvenir from IPOH has a large turquoise and sunflower yellow
\nspiral forming the nucleus of the canvas. An exquisite piece of
\nblack and beige batik textile is incorporated with the big leaves
\nat the base of the sunflower, giving the observer the feeling of
\nspiraling.<\/p>\n
On the other side of the entrance hang the works of Nunung
\nWS, whose Krida Waodya was honored by the state minister of the
\nempowerment of women.<\/p>\n
Nunung's simple canvases are flooded with one or two flat
\ncolors, evidence of her obsession with color. As she has said,
\ncolor is the most important medium in her work, and spirit is
\nsomething she wishes to express through color.<\/p>\n
Color is a way to total expression, she says. Satu Bunga Satu
\nDaun (One flower with one leaf) and Yellow Path are two of her
\nworks on display. The paintings are dominated by browns, reds and
\namber yellows.<\/p>\n
A little more challenging are Elisha's canvases, which take
\nthe eye from one detail to the next as if in a designed pattern.<\/p>\n
In Life Behind the Door, Elisha has intelligently incorporated
\na mixture of mediums, such as Japanese ribbon, textile and paper
\nto create an abstraction of the cultural interaction between
\nJapan and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
And last but not least is Rudolf G. Usman, who coordinated the
\nexhibition and is showing his works as well. Rudolf attended the
\nInstitute of Fine Arts in Jakarta and also studied under painter
\nSiaw Tik Kwie. Rudolf's admiration for traditional East Asia ink
\npainting is apparent in his work.<\/p>\n
He feels ink painting emphasizes man's humble position in the
\ngreatness of nature. Rudolf's paintings feature vivid gold colors
\nand in The Soul of the Todaiji Temple, he has fused small
\nJapanese fans with oriental colors and Japanese script.<\/p>\n
The perspective and nuances in shading show the tranquil
\nbeauty of the world. Serenity is the greatest inspiration
\nfor Rudolf, and this feeling is obvious one views his works.<\/p>\n
The exhibition will run until March 25 at The Japan
\nFoundation, Summitmas I.<\/p>",
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