When Semar rides the Chinese dragon<\/p>\n
Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Semar Chinese Art Gallery, owned by Chinese-Indonesian, Christine
\nIvonella, was opened in Malang, East Java by noted Chinese
\nIndonesian art collector, Dr. Oei Hong Djien of Magelang, Central
\nJava in June.<\/p>\n
This gallery is one of the few such establishments in Malang,
\nwhile most of the galleries are found in Jakarta, Bali, Bandung,
\nYogyakarta and Surabaya and are generally owned by Chinese-
\nIndonesians.<\/p>\n
The establishment of this gallery, under the curatorship of
\nDjuli Djatiprambudi of Surabaya, is specifically intended to
\nintroduce cultural diversity, in particular art works from China
\nand Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Other galleries, like Edwin Gallery, Mon Decor, Malinda
\nGallery and Andy Gallery -- all in Jakarta -- usually feature art
\nworks that sell well and become the talk among art enthusiasts.<\/p>\n
They do not specialize in Chinese art works. Several of them
\nare more interested in promoting young fine artists regardless of
\nrace, sex or religion.<\/p>\n
It is common knowledge that Chinese-Indonesians play a key
\nrole in the country's fine art development.<\/p>\n
Aside from controlling the art market through their galleries,
\nthey also play a dominant role in art discourses as observers,
\ncritics and curators.<\/p>\n
In addition, Chinese-Indonesians are also dominant in terms of
\nart collections, art auctions, art book publications, the
\norganization of art competitions and the sale of art materials.<\/p>\n
To introduce Semar Gallery to art buffs, Christine Ivonella
\nhas arranged a roving exhibition of the works of Chen Jiu Lin,
\ndeputy rector of China's Guang Zhou Art University, in six major
\ncities up to March 2004. The first city to host this exhibition
\nis Jakarta, at the Indonesian National Gallery. The other cities
\nare Semarang, Magelang, Surabaya, Malang and Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Chen is one of the artists to receive a life-long financial
\ngrant from the Chinese government and his name is listed in the
\nWho's Who of Noted Chinese Artists.<\/p>\n
Despite his popularity in his country, he is relatively
\nunknown in Indonesia. He is less popular here than contemporary
\nartist Fang Lijun, who has just taken part in CP Open Biennale,
\nor Zhang Shengyuan aka Kuang Da, a tradition-based modern artist,
\nwho led a group of university-educated Chinese artists that held
\nan exhibition in Jakarta and Surabaya late last year.<\/p>\n
Ivonella further said that she opted to exhibit Chen's works
\nas a token of gratitude to her master. For the last decade, she
\nsaid, she has been seriously studying Chinese art in China,
\nparticularly Guang Zhou, and learning to paint in the Chinese
\nstyle under Chen's tutorship.<\/p>\n
Chen's 43 works in this exhibition, made in Chinese ink on
\nrice paper, feature objects generally taken up by Chinese artists
\nsuch as a valley scene, a mountain and a waterfall, horses,
\nchickens, tigers, egrets, lotus and mei flowers and human
\nfigures.<\/p>\n
These works are presented in either the classical or modern
\nstyle, in black-and-white or in limited colors in the bluish,
\ngreenish, brownish and reddish nuances. Just like most Chinese
\npaintings, each of Chen's works is accompanied by a note in
\nChinese characters.<\/p>\n
In this context, Tchang Yen-yuan, an art expert of the 9th
\ncentury said, "If they (the artists) find it beyond themselves to
\nexpress their thoughts in their paintings, they will inscribe
\nsome characters. If they cannot express their ideas in writing,
\nthey will paint."<\/p>\n
It may be jarring, however, when the written message is not in
\ntune with the essence of the painting.<\/p>\n
We know that an egret symbolizes longevity. However, in a
\npainting called Egret - May You Have a Long Life, the egret looks
\ntired, weak and spiritless.<\/p>\n
The painting called Horse does not look robust enough, quite a
\ncontradiction to the inscription on the top left-hand corner of
\nthe painting that says that this horse from the Southern Mountain
\ncan gallop for thousands of miles.<\/p>\n
The essence of a painting, even in China, must be seen in the
\npainting itself, not in the "footnote". Therefore, we must
\nhonestly acknowledge that The Panorama of Gui Lin Mountain, a
\npainting made in the classical style, regardless of its
\ninscription, is indeed beautiful.<\/p>\n
A country with a population of 1.3 billion people, China has
\nboasted innumerable artists through the ages, from the days of
\nroyal dynasties of yore to the contemporary era.<\/p>\n
Today, China is a dragon writhing to confirm its seat as
\nAsia's biggest nation; poised to conquer the world.<\/p>\n
The newly opened Semar Gallery, is like Semar, the
\nmythological court jester in the Javanese shadow puppet story,
\nriding on the broad back of the powerful dragon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/when-semar-rides-the-chinese-dragon-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}