Rabat MS takes the spiritual path in art<\/p>\n
By Mehru Jaffer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Musician and painter Rabat MS believes the only
\nway to stop oneself from indulging in evil is to listen to the
\nsoul and reach out to other people.<\/p>\n
\"If all those who put bombs in places where people worship
\npaused to listen to their souls, they would not do such dreadful
\nthings to hurt other human beings,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nthe eve of the opening of his exhibition at the Regent Hotel in
\nKuningan, South Jakarta, last week.<\/p>\n
\"I can only pray that all those lost and misguided people of
\nthis country will appeal more to their souls every time they feel
\nangry and frustrated in life.\"<\/p>\n
His artwork shows the relationship of human beings with each
\nother, and also man's relationship with God. The 53-year-old
\nRabat feels that it is the confusion between God and religion
\nthat is the cause of most of man's murderous problems. Rabat
\nbelieves in the search for God, but once someone is lucky enough
\nto find God then they have to do little else but believe.<\/p>\n
After being obsessed with finding answers to the identity and
\nintention of the creator of this world, Rabat recently came to
\nthe conclusion that just the belief in God is far more important
\nthan religion. God is indeed One, and religions are just the
\ndifferent paths different people in different corners of the
\nworld, and at different periods in history, have taken in worship
\nof the same god.<\/p>\n
The son of a post office master in Surabaya, Rabat recalls
\nwatching his father draw while his grandfather designed clothes
\nand interiors for the palace in Central Java. Born in Tretes,
\nEast Java, Rabat has been painting ever since he can remember.
\nAfter graduating from the Academy of Art in Surabaya (AKSERA), he
\ntaught in an elementary school before leaving for Bali, where he
\nstayed for a decade.<\/p>\n
In Bali he found people following a religion different than
\nhis own, and he could not help noticing how devout the Balinese
\nare. During this time, Rabat learned the techniques of art from
\nLe Mayeur's paintings and also formed The Balinese Artist
\nFoundation (CITRA).<\/p>\n
Rabat mostly did realistic portraits and landscapes, even as
\nhe continued to struggle to find answers to basic questions of
\nidentity.<\/p>\n
Theater<\/p>\n
He had returned to his native Java when in 1982 he expressed
\nhis love for the theater by creating a contemporary repertoire
\ncalled Genta Dalam Warna.<\/p>\n
As he sat pondering one day the eternal puzzle as to who the
\ncreator of this universe is, a wave of spirituality swept over
\nhim and overnight he moved from figurative painting to the
\nabstract, from this world to the other.<\/p>\n
In his mind he identifies realism with the complexity as well
\nas the detailed beauty of this world, in contrast to the
\nsimplicity and freedom of spirit he is able to enjoy while
\nexploring the abstract.<\/p>\n
Rabat imagines the world was a ball of atmosphere at first,
\nhome to nothing but the elements. Then the particles of dust
\nbegged God to give them human form, to make them participate
\nintelligently in a world so beautiful. So God created human
\nbeings.<\/p>\n
Rabat refuses to believe in the maxim that human beings did
\nnot ask to be born. He believes instead that even as tiny specks
\nin the atmosphere we loved life, the beauty of birth and the
\ninnocence of the newborn.<\/p>\n
\"But once we are born we forget how simple and full of
\ngoodness we once were. The longer we live life the more we
\npollute the purity of our spirit and seem to be attracted more
\neasily toward the devil than toward God.\"<\/p>\n
He feels that abstract painting suits him better at this stage
\nin his life, allowing him to play freely with his ideas of
\nsimplicity and goodness, which he hopes will help him return to
\nthe wholesomeness and purity he once enjoyed as a mere dot of
\ndust.<\/p>\n
To share the freedom he himself enjoys, Rabat does not believe
\nin influencing the imagination of his viewers by giving titles to
\nhis paintings.<\/p>\n
He sincerely adheres to his beliefs, according to his only
\ndaughter, Iping.<\/p>\n
\"The one thing that I have learned from my father is never to
\npreach about what I believe in,\" said Iping, 28, who is also her
\nfather's private secretary.<\/p>\n
Like her father, she would like to share her beliefs with
\nthose around her by practicing them.<\/p>\n
\"I don't ever recall my parents telling me to do this or not
\nto do that. On my part, I just emulate whatever I see and hear
\nthem do and say.\" said Iping.<\/p>\n
The paintings of Rabat MS are on exhibit until Feb. 6, 2001,
\nin the lobby of the Regent Hotel, Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>",
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