Jeihan's works captivate Parisians<\/p>\n
By Putu Wirata<\/p>\n
PARIS, France (JP): Noted Indonesian painter Jeihan Sukmantoro
\nis currently delighting art lovers in the cultural capital of
\nFrance, Paris, with 30 of his mysterious, yet enchanting, works.<\/p>\n
In cooperation with the Paris-based Lansberg art gallery, Jais
\nHadiana Dargawijaya, owner of the Darga Gallery in Denpasar,
\nBali, is holding a breakthrough solo exhibition by an Indonesian
\npainter at the Lansberg Gallery, ending on Dec.31, l999.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is attracting hundreds of visitors to the
\ngallery.<\/p>\n
\"It is very touching, and I feel very excited to know that an
\nIndonesian painter is finally able to display his work in this
\nprestigious gallery,\" exclaimed Dargawijaya.<\/p>\n
Dargawijaya said that he had worked tirelessly to promote
\nIndonesian artists and to arrange exhibitions of their work in
\nParis for years.<\/p>\n
\"You know, galleries in this city have long been controlled by
\nart dealers and curators who want to only exhibit masterpieces
\nlike the works of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Christo, Henrie
\nMatisse and others,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added it was very hard to convince the curators that there
\nare many talented artists in Indonesia whose works deserved to be
\ndisplayed at Paris galleries.<\/p>\n
Previously Dargawijaya displayed works by Made Wianta, Nyoman
\nErawan, Chusin Setyadikara and Made Budhiana in a joint
\nexhibition at the same gallery.<\/p>\n
\"I feel that Jeihan's works are very inspiring and are filled
\nwith electrifying energy,\" commented one visitor at the
\nexhibition.<\/p>\n
Some viewers experienced sensational feelings when looking at
\nJeihan's objects -- mysterious women.<\/p>\n
The painter favorite objects are ordinary women or low-class
\nfemale workers.<\/p>\n
The ways these models pose for the artist reflect their
\nignorance to their surroundings and their enigmatic and intricate
\nfaces; something incomprehensible for most Westerners.<\/p>\n
In many European paintings, women appear as sensual objects
\nand as a symbol of middle-upper class society. Women are also
\nregarded as having social and economic potential.<\/p>\n
Jeihan's women are a far cry from these. According to art
\ncritic Jim Supangkat, Jeihan prefers to pick female workers from
\nhis neighborhood in Cicadas, a slum area in Bandung, as his
\nmodels. He let them pose in natural ways.<\/p>\n
The women are sometimes depicted half-nude with their full
\nbreasts as in Jeihan's untitled 1969 painting and Nin or Nora
\n(l995). In Nora, Jeihan depicts a young woman's breast without
\nintending to arouse male's sexual desires.<\/p>\n
In Model, (l974) Jeihan also displayed an attractive half-
\nnaked woman lying on a bench as if she is relaxing watching a
\ntelevision program.<\/p>\n
Many painters focus on women and nudity as an expression of
\ntheir protest. On the other hand, Jeihan seems to portray women
\nas they are. Jeihan is not a feminist who speaks for women.
\nHe just wants to portray women from different point of views,
\nneither as an exotic object as in Balinese paintings or as a
\nsexual objects as in European paintings.<\/p>\n
Jeihan's family background has contributed to the way he views
\nwomen. Supangkat says that Jeihan was obsessed with his happy
\nchildhood, where he lived among royal princesses of the Surakarta
\nroyal house in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Within this royal circle, the young Jeihan absorbed
\nsophisticated Javanese culture and values. Through his female
\nmodels, Jeihan expresses his passions and his outlook towards
\nwomen.<\/p>\n
Dargawijaya said he was very happy to witness the public's
\nenthusiasm towards the exhibition. He will certainly financially
\ngain nothing from it; his effort to introduce Indonesian artists
\nto the European public is admirable.<\/p>\n
So far, there have been no art dealers brave enough to bring
\nAsian artists to exhibit their works at Parisian art galleries.<\/p>\n
Dargawijaya has already proven that Indonesian artists can
\nalso showcase their talents on European art stages.<\/p>\n
\"At present, I focus on Indonesian contemporary arts,\" said
\nDargawijaya.<\/p>\n
Whether the door to European art galleries and museums will
\nopen wider and allow other Indonesian artists in, only time can
\ntell.<\/p>",
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