Artist inspired by innocence of children

By Pavan Kapoor

JAKARTA (JP): Amid the current rush of abstract and surreal art exhibitions, where the mind is constantly challenged while trying to scrutinize and fathom the artist's neurological impulses, Suprobo's paintings surely feel like a splatter of raindrops on a hot day.

Suprobo, one Indonesia's renowned realists, is currently showing his works at the World Trade Center Lobby until July 30. The exhibition of 40 paintings was opened by Guruh Soekarnoputra on July 23, marking National Children's Day.

Since 1994, Suprobo has dedicated his art to the theme of the innocence of children. Although the paintings are about children, the viewer is never bored as each painting deals with a child in a versatile array of moods and a different atmosphere.

Infusing the theme's atmosphere within each frame is perhaps where Suprobo's intrinsic mastership lies. Creating a contrast of white relief and the darkness beyond is sought purposely to hold the focus on the child and it's usually ambiguous expression.

When asked the reason for his passion for painting children, Suprobo says quite simply: "Children know no vices and so in every movement, expression and action they are pure and spontaneous. It is this innocence and spontaneity of expression I aim to expose to art lovers".

Although all Suprobo's paintings are about children, there is a certain obvious quality of gay abandon innate in the spirit of childhood that is lacking in most of the frames. Bersandar (Sitting back) shows a girl of about 8 years of age with a pretty puppy face sitting on a white arm chair while looking almost morosely sideways. The same mood prevails in Suleha and Dimakan Sayang (Too good to be eaten).

Suleha, an oil painting of 40cm x 60cm shows a petite girl with an enviable bone structure. She is wearing an amber shirt and seems to be looking at the viewer in the eye. With bright light from behind throwing her face into a shadow, Suprobo's mastery is seen in highlighting each strand of hair and the graceful curl wayward lock over the right cheek. However, the seriousness of her expression stands out as one realizes that there is something missing. Once again one feels a tug at the heart strings for want of the gay laughter of a child.

Perhaps Suprobo intends to arouse the sympathy of people who visit his artworks and help make a world in which children are properly nurtured, loved and cared for and educated. The ongoing crisis has affected the lifestyle of millions of children all over Indonesia. Instead of playing with toys, they have to bear too early in life the burden of becoming bread winners for their families.

Suprobo makes each painting advertise this sentiment effectively in the silent language that speaks louder than words blared out on a microphone. He hopes to have set the ball of humanity rolling that will arouse the conscience of people and work in its own unique way toward getting people to involve themselves in activities that would spread love and caring for children.

One of the most outstanding paintings is Tolong (Help), in which Suprobo has once again excelled in his domain. He portrays the big eyes of an infant wrapped tight in a hanging baby cradle.

The big troubled eyes of the chubby baby leads the observer to the fallen pacifier on the floor a couple of feet below. With the mother far away the baby will probably yearn for the soothing touch of the pacifier until the mother can leave her chores and attend to the baby.

Another beautifully portrayed yet touching attempt to relate the woes of a mute infant who has not yet learned to walk. The ethnic brown of a traditional batik sarong is applied again in the background, creating a monochrome effect in the upper half of the painting.

This is the difference Suprobo has introduced in his latest works as a mark of the initiation of the new millennium. A glaring contrast with a monochromatic background that leaves a lot of simply white canvas free as if easing the observer with open spaces before grabbing the attention to the child's face.

In Bawah Bayang Bayang (Under the shadows), Suprobo has created an interesting slant to his painting by keeping the left side of the canvas white as it seamlessly fuses with the white of the girl's dress. She looks with apprehension over her left shoulder at the darkness of the shadows that lie beyond. Once again, the enigmatic open spaces magnetize the viewer to focus on the main subject.

Some of the other paintings worth mentioning are Membidik (Aiming), Memburu (Chasing) and Keretaku Tak Kencang Larinya (My train doesn't run fast).

Suprobo has been involved in various arts since 1995 when he dedicated his time to painting children. He worked as an illustrator for Puteri Indonesia magazine, as a graphic designer for Prospek magazine and then as a graphic consultant for Majalah Properti Indonesia.

Suprobo talks enthusiastically about his plans. He is building a museum which will be dedicated to introducing the life of children to the world of arts and hosting exhibitions of not only paintings but also other art forms, such as sculpture, painting, ceramics and batik. He is also keen to have discussions on films and theatrical productions for children.