Artist Rustamadji still going strong

Artist Rustamadji still going strong

By Erry Prabandari

KLATEN, Central Java (JP): It's the dark blue of the mountains
in the background and the paddy fields in the foreground which
make the gorgeous landscape. Nature, and all of its creatures,
are the source of inspiration for Rustamadji, an 80-year-old
painter from Klaten.

Everything finds a place on his canvas: An urban sewage
system, frolicking ducks, banana trees pregnant with plump fruit,
even a street musician playing a simple instrument. It is all
captured in his realist-naturalist style, which he has remained
faithful to since he began painting at the age of 16.

In honor of Rustamadji, the Klaten Artists Fellowship
(PASREN), with the assistance of Kompas daily, is holding a solo
exhibit of his works. It is in conjunction with his 80th
birthday. He was born on Jan. 19, 1921.

Rustamadji believes small is beautiful and often brings the
simple theme to his canvas. He loves detail and tries to be as
true to reality as possible; for him, the old and the young
leaves are the same. As a true nature lover, almost all of his
paintings have nature themes; the observer is taken on a nature
tour.

It is also surprising how he can take the seemingly mundane
and render it important. He often draws forests in their
serenity, the fern crowned by luscious green foliage, the flow of
a river.

Village life is often the object of his paintings. For
example, Jalan ke Desa (Road to the Village/1974) shows a village
waking up in the morning. A trader rides his bicycle laden with
the fruits of the harvest, as ducks swim in an open drain.

In Rembang Tebu (Sugarcane Harvest, 1987), he tells of the
situation during the harvesting season. Two farmhands share a
joke near the railway line, while others haul the harvest onto
trucks. In the background, a pair of buffalo pull a cart laden
with the harvested crop.

Like other realist-naturalist painters, Rustamadji likes to
paint at the location. Only in recent years, he paints indirectly
with the help of photos. For him, painting is not merely an art,
but also a medium to communicate with God. He adores Him and
wants to express this feeling by painting His wonderful
creatures, since God is the highest Creator.

Rustamadji has tried to keep from becoming arrogant and to
keep a low profile, although his name is well-known at both the
national and international levels. According to Hardjija, a
painter who helped organize the exhibition, Rustamadji is
powerful, not only because of his love of painting on wide
canvases but his expertise in stone sculptures.

The exhibition of Rustamadji's works is at Jl. Pemuda 58,
Klaten, about 30 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, until Jan. 19.