Aziz's widow launches book on painter

Mary Northmore-Aziz, widow of painter and sculptor Abdul Aziz, recently launched her book Abdul Aziz: The Artist and His Art, on the brilliant output of her late husband.

"I felt it was necessary to write the book because I think Abdul Aziz was an exceptional artist, but not so well-known in Indonesia," Mary said at the launch on Nov. 26 in Ubud, Bali.

Aziz's most well-known work is a painting popularly known as Mona Lisa of Bali.

Aziz, born in Purwokerto, Central Java, on March 28, 1928, went to study arts at the then Indonesian Arts Institute (ASRI), Yogyakarta, and later at Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, Italy.

After six years in Italy, he returned to Indonesia in 1965 and moved to Bali. Besides paintingm, sculpting and making violins, Aziz also worked as a lecturer at the arts school at Udayana University.

In 1988 he married Mary, with whom he lived in Ubud until he died in Denpasar in 2002.

One year after her bereavement, Mary decided to create a book about her husband, to show the world what an extraordinary artist he was.

She tracked down his paintings and sculptures, and interviewed friends from his childhood and youth, his Italian years and later, combining them all into the book.

British Ambassador to Indonesia Charles Humfrey gave a verbal appreciation at the launch. -- JP