136 paintings by Indonesian, Japanese kids on display

JAKARTA (JP): A total of 136 paintings by Indonesian and Japanese children will be displayed on the second floor of Summitmas Tower on Jl. Sudirman kav. 61-62 until next Thursday.

The 11-day exhibition, which started Monday, was partly aimed at commemorating Indonesian Teacher's Day on Nov. 13, and the 52nd anniversary of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) and International Teacher's Day, both on Nov. 25, an organizer said.

Both elementary and junior high school students participated in the event.

PGRI chairman Basyuni Suriamiharja said, during the opening ceremony Monday, that the exhibition also hoped to capture children's perceptions through the paintings.

"Besides that, the exhibition is also to boost friendship between Japanese children living in Indonesia and fellow locals."

Basyuni said 56 of the paintings were made by Indonesian children and the remaining 80 by Japanese children.

The theme of the Indonesian paintings was "Teachers, School and Education", while the Japanese works varied from Indonesian daily life and traditional clothes to wild animals, Basyuni said.

Some of the young Japanese painted street vendors, becak (pedicab) and Jakarta's skyscrapers, he said.

"We hope that the event will become a permanent part of the annual Indonesian Teacher's Day celebration and, in the future, we could also invite participants from other provinces," he said.

The exhibition was the third held as part of the yearly festivities, he said.

The first one was held in 1995 to commemorate Indonesia's 50th Independence Day and the second in March for the theme Indonesian and Japanese children's friendships, Basyuni said.

The Japanese works are only for exhibition, while those painted by Indonesian children have been judged, he said.

The winner of group I (for elementary school students of 1st to 3rd grade) was William Christian from SD Hati Suci, Central Jakarta; for group II (elementary school students of 4th to 6th grade) was Terina from SD Marsudirini in East Jakarta; and group III (junior high school students of 1st to 3rd grade) was Victorianus Aditya from SMP Putra Desa in South Jakarta.

Seven-year-old William submitted a drawing of an open-air school in Irian Jaya with half-naked pupils sitting around a teacher and learning the alphabet.

William said that he chose Irian Jaya as his theme because he felt sorry for the children, particularly those living in the hinterland who could not go to school.

"I read from books or heard that most of them can't read, so I decided to paint a school which was in very poor condition," he said.

His mother, Hanny, said William was inspired by reports about the prolonged dry season in Irian Jaya.

"He said that he wanted to make a painting about Irian Jaya's children, who must be poor because they have nothing to eat and can't go to school," she said.

Indri Vinia, 13, the second placegetter of group III from SLTP Kristen IV BPK Penabur, also chose the province as her subject.

"I chose Irian Jaya even though I haven't been there yet. In my opinion, schools are still scarce there. I hope, through my painting, people will be touched," she said.

Indri said that she was inspired by posters about Irian Jaya and used her imagination to create a scene from the province.

The father of Victorianus, F.X. Sadono, accepted his son's award Monday.

Sadono said his son often won painting contests and the boy had already collect 280 trophies and other awards.

For the exhibition, Victorianus drew a semipermanent school with students carrying their toys to the classroom. (ind)