Kho dips his brush in the cultural melting pot<\/p>\n
P.J. Leo, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The use of various figures, symbols, colors and materials in
\nthe works of painter Antonius Kho show that he has been
\ninfluenced by a variety of cultural genres. Art lovers are
\nrequired to fully use their senses to appreciate his works.<\/p>\n
His use of lines and circular shapes, along with certain
\ncolors and materials, form the basic elements of the artist's
\npaintings.<\/p>\n
After successfully staging his solo exhibition titled Sosok
\ndan Perubahan (Figures and Changes) at 678 Gallery in South
\nJakarta, Kho moved his show to the German Center Indonesia in
\nBumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang, from Nov. 17 to Nov. 30, under the
\nGerman title Figur und Wandlung.<\/p>\n
The exhibition -- which was opened by the center's director,
\nJohn Sautter -- has been promoted by the center to present
\nattractive artworks that display elements of Indonesia and
\nEurope, particularly Germany, to German citizens in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Born in Klaten, Central Java, in 1958, Kho's works are
\ndominated by acrylic colors and collage. When using collage, Kho
\nnot only uses a paintbrush but also does some cutting and
\nsticking, combining Indonesian and European artistic elements.
\nMost of the works in this exhibition clearly show his interest in
\ncombining a variety of different materials, which requires
\nspecial expertise and perseverance not commonly found among
\npainters in general.<\/p>\n
Kho learned about art from his first teacher, Barli, in 1977,
\nwho also introduced him to modern European art. Owing to his
\nroots and intimate relationship, since birth, with the Javanese
\nenvironment, Kho learned traditional handicrafts and batik in
\nYogyakarta before going to Bandung to pursue further studies in
\nfine arts.<\/p>\n
In 1985 he left for Germany to study painting at the
\nFachhochshule in Cologne. Later he became interested in the
\nrelationship between the Indonesian and European schools of
\npainting and developed his penchant for collage and the use of
\nacrylic colors.<\/p>\n
Kho was engaged in one experiment after another using various
\nmaterials and combined them in his works. He has used gunny
\ncloth, fine batik ornaments and pulp, and also mixed them to form
\ndifferent kinds of surfaces, which are both visually attractive
\nand sensuous to touch.<\/p>\n
The works that are on display testify to the quality of these
\nworks, though it is also true to say that human figures or parts
\nof the body are not clearly depicted.<\/p>\n
His Erotik (Erotic) illustrates a woman's body without giving
\nthe impression that she is dressed, but stops short of suggesting
\nsexual desire and instead offers the beauty of procreation. When
\nwe follow the movement of the lines or the areas of color of this
\nfigure of a naked woman, other impressions emerge to abort our
\nprevious thoughts or blur the movement of the picture's lines.<\/p>\n
Kho does not destroy, split or cut up the figure of a body or
\nparts of a body on his canvas. He arranges the pieces that he has
\ndiscovered into a shape with a new meaning. This is a feature
\nshared by all his paintings.<\/p>\n
A good example in this respect is Crown V, in which a round
\nface with two eyes and a nose are depicted in a normal position
\nwhile the mouth is covered by a new face of a different size and
\na number of cross-cutting lines.<\/p>\n
As a painter using collage and acrylic colors, Kho has won a
\nnumber of awards from several countries. In 1989 he won first
\nprize at the Malen auf Liegestuhlen competition, Fachhochschule
\nArt Design Olivandenhof, Collage.<\/p>\n
In 1990 he also won first prize at Art addiction Annual in
\nVenice. Eight years later he won the Gold Masks - Diploma of
\nExcellence at Palazzo Correr in Venice, Italy. In 1999\/2000 he
\nwas nominated in the First International Drawing Competition, in
\nWroclaw, Poland, and in 2000 he was again nominated in the fifth
\nSapporo International Print Biennale Exhibition at Hokkaido
\nMuseum of Modern Art, Sapporo, Japan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kho-dips-his-brush-in-the-cultural-melting-pot-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}