Chinese art surfaces after thirty-two years of repression

Ahmad Solikhan, Contributor, Yogyakarta

The fragrance of burning incense wafts out of a gallery illuminated by the reflection gleaming from red lanterns blending with the golden rays radiating from the gallery lighting. It accentuated the beauty of the paintings that depicted natural scenery, people, animals and a great variety of flowers in a uniquely Chinese style.

The visitors, mostly Chinese Indonesians of the older generation, crowded in rapt attention before the paintings on display, eagerly trying to communicate with them.

This scene was rare in art galleries across the country. For over three decades Chinese Indonesian painters have been denied room for expression. They have even succumbed to the inclination to merely imitate Western fine arts, which are considered easier to digest by the international community.

In fact, many painting techniques thought to belong to the Western culture were indeed found in China several centuries ago.

The pointillistic technique associated with Georges Seurat in France, for example, was used in China long before the French artist became acquainted with it. Likewise, the technique developed by Paul Cezzane, one of France's most noted artists, resembles the technique used by famous Chinese painters, Tung Chi Chang and Wang Yuan Chi, who lived several centuries before Cezzane.

It should also be noted that the political climate in the New Order period was not conducive to the development of the Chinese art genre.

Today, in the noisy debates brought about by intensified fine art discourses, particularly in Yogyakarta, and with the freedom of expression being the order of the day, Chinese Indonesian painters, who have for so many years confined themselves to their own solitary environment, have made their appearance.

Generally, their paintings are of a naturalistic style with a tendency to express the natural conditions and social life of their ancestors' culture.

Of all Chinese Indonesian artists, Pwan Cho, 76, a lady from Tanjung Duren Utara, Jakarta, and Ma Yong Chiang, 65, a gentleman born in Malang, East Java, are consistent with the path of life they have chosen.

They are now exhibiting their works in a joint exhibition entitled in Yang at Galeri 9, Yogyakarta between Feb. 23 and March 7, 2002. This exhibition combines Pwan Cho's works, mostly concerned with flowers and animals, and those of Ma Yong Chiang, who has a great interest in the beauty of mountains.

Take an expressive painting by Pwan Cho called Dua Ikan (Two Fish), 68 cm x 42 cm, a watercolor on rice paper. It depicts two black Koi fish at the bottom of an aquarium during their mating period. This romantic atmosphere is accentuated by the presence of green leaves and red flowers.

In another painting by Pwan, called Bangau (Egrets), 68 cm x 45 cm, also watercolor on rice paper, two egrets perch on a large branch covered with blossom. The egrets seem to be talking to each other; their eyes staring far into the sky as if protesting against their dwindling population.

These two paintings, made with fine strokes of colorful paint on rice paper strongly express the elements of Chinese culture. The empty space in these paintings has a beauty of its own in giving prominence to the objects of the paintings.

Pwan Cho studied fine arts at Kunstnijeverheid Instituut, Amsterdam, in 1948 and then worked as a batik textile designer between 1953 and 1958 in Holland and also in Indonesia. She said that it was not until 1984 that she began to concentrate on Chinese painting using a Chinese brush under the tutelage of Ling Nan Lung and Chaw I Chaw.

In her 16 years of struggle with Chinese painting, she has produced hundreds of works. Unfortunately, her well-documented works were destroyed in the recent floods.

For this ongoing exhibition, Pwan Cho, who runs a Chinese brush painting course at her residence, has been compelled to work hard to produce her latest works. "I prefer painting with watercolor on rice paper as I learned to write Chinese characters when I was a girl," she said.

Meanwhile, Ma Yong Chiang, also known as R. Sidik Martowidjoyo, said that in the past decade he had devoted himself to the study of the works of Chinese painting maestros like Qi Baishi, Li Keran, Fu Baishi and Zhang Dagian. He has used every opportunity to go to China to observe ancient and contemporary Chinese paintings.

Thanks to his experience and observation, Ma has finally been able to produce hundreds of expressive abstract paintings. Take one of his works, Pegunungan (Mountains), 68 cm x 43 cm, ink on rice paper. This painting presents the nuances of misty mountains and provides a cool and shady feeling for the beholder.

In Harmonis (Harmonious), 68cm x 68cm, ink on rice paper, he depicts a cock and a hen plus dozens of their newly-hatched chicks to express our responsibility for the next generation.

The two paintings look heavy because the thick monochrome color dominates and fills the space of the rice paper. For Ma, who won an award for Best Quality Chinese Painting in the 2001 international traditional Chinese painting contest in Beijing, China, each color has its own significance in clarifying the object of a painting. Owing to this principle, Ma's painting style is associated with unique and flexible strokes.

It is only proper that the works of Chinese Indonesian painters are exposed to art buffs through exhibitions at galleries. In this way, they will lead to a separate discourse and spark healthy competition in the country's fine art development.