Canadian painter to exhibit works

JAKARTA (JP): Canadian painter Joshua Howard will exhibit his work at Hazara restaurant in Jl. Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta.

The two-month long exhibition, Sunlight and Gas Lanterns, opens today.

"When something or someone ordinary is taken out of context, the result can be extraordinary. In a bustling metropolis like Jakarta, which changes by the day, there are still those glimpses of the old Indonesian lifestyle that shall never change," said Howard about the inspiration for his work.

In completing his paintings, Howard used a 15th century Italian method of underpainting and glazing with acrylic. They capture street life with sunlight or gas lanterns as the light source. Several smaller series of abstract figurative works will also be presented, including one where a pear has been transformed into the shape of a female figure.

Howard finished his secondary education at the Jakarta International School after moving here in 1988. He studied fine art at the Rhode Island School of Design.

After graduating from the Rhode Island design school, he studied basic human and animal behavior and became interested in social interaction and body language as a means of communication. He visited Morocco, Kenya and Egypt while working on sketchbooks and photographic works.

His first exhibition in Indonesia, a joint work with Indonesian painter Sudargono, was presented after his return here in 1994. This upcoming show is his third public exhibition in Indonesia. (24)