'Color of our souls' captured by Kemang 104
'Color of our souls' captured by Kemang 104
Pavan Kapoor, Contributor, Jakarta
In all the mayhem and racy commercialism of the world today,
there is little time or inclination for one to step off the
spinning wheel of life and reconnect with one's innate and
pristine soul.
However, when one visits the Kemang 104 art group, the restive
calm is poignant in the atmosphere, as each of the 10 artists
attempts to draw out their soul on colorful easels with a
profusion of creative artistic materials.
In 1992 a group of five inspired women started painting in
Kemang Raya House no. 104. Their number has expanded to include
other young and talented women; however the group has managed to
maintain its intrinsic spirit -- the pure and joyful love of
color and art.
"Painting together is a creative activity we indulge in just
for ourselves, as a means of enriching our spirit and not for any
commercial perk or benefit," explained Tina Sutanto and Listia
Rahardjo, acting as spokespersons, to The Jakarta Post. "That is
perhaps the reason why the last time the Kemang 104 exhibited was
almost a year ago."
The versatile group of women at Kemang 104 are gearing up for
their annual exhibition opening on 29 April, aptly titled Colors
of our souls.
Although the group thrives on suggestions and criticism from
one another, each has a different journey to take on the road to
discovering their innermost soul and hence each artist is worthy
of individual comment.
Tina Sutanto is a versatile and adventurous artist, whose
works reflect the energy, color and rhythm of lines, with spirits
derived from her imagination and love of adventure. She felt
inspired by the traditional Indian bandhini (tie-dye) technique
and has used the cultural fusion in her semi-abstract figurines.
Also using mixed media is Astralita, who is fascinated by the
innocence of childhood, which is not surprising, as she is also
an art teacher at the Mitra Hadi Prana school of art. All her
paintings are small and have chubby and cute faces of children
showing a variety of expressions, ranging from shy to
embarrassed.
Uh-Oh (20 centimeters (cm) x 30cm) shows a girl about five
years old cupping her mouth in embarrassment as she has just
broken a taboo set by a parent.
Wayan Handoko is the third artist using mixed media and is
also a teacher at Mitra Hadi Prana school of art. She seems
dedicated to exploring the traditional life and moralistic
approach to life of the Balinese people in a contemporary
fashion.
Wayan sends a strong moral message in the abstract painting
Put Your Crown Under (70cm x 70cm), which conveys the message
that people should keep their pride and ego at the bottom of
their personalities.
Small is beautiful for artists Eileen Widjaja and Listia
Rahardjo. Eileen Widjaja expresses her desire to break the
shackles of conformity and break through into new thoughts and
emotions. A small easel painter and also the hostess of the
Kemang 104, it seems Eileen revels in the miniature and mystery
of artistic etiquette.
Blue room (15cm x 20cm) is a tiny, yet intriguing painting,
which shows the back of a woman in a blue room looking out onto
the scene below through a large window.
Listia Rahardjo indulges in small paintings in simple earth
tones of browns and beiges showing statues at Angkor Wat.
Exploring an individual sense of tradition, Listia creates a
vibrancy through detailed work that shows etchings on stone to
create figures and stone facades and pillars.
In Laxmi's Sarong (25cm x 35cm) there is the figure, from
pelvis down, of a woman in an intricate sarong. What lies above?
Who is this damsel? Such is the intrigue Listia attempts to
provoke in the onlooker.
While some prefer small paintings, others, such as Sasya
Tranggono and Gina Santoso, express themselves in larger-than-
life works.
Sasya Tranggono is a well-established aqua-colorist and
perhaps the only one in the group with a world tour to her
credit. Best known for her conceptualized, perfectly balanced
layouts, Sasya ventures out to display a couple of landscapes in
oil media. Her painting,Don't ask the Reason Why, (75cm x 55cm)
is in warm, earthy shades of rich and vibrant watercolors and
portrays a wooden horse with a vividly balanced background.
Gina Santoso is an oil medium painter whose creative genius
perhaps lies in the dream-like, semi-abstract concept, which she
uses to portray the innate corners of her soul. She confesses to
being obsessed with the complexity of lines in a rose and the
outward beauty it represents.
Circle of reflection' (160cm x 120cm) shows a dreamy sequence
in which three women lie in reposeful positions around the
delicate petals of a gigantic rose. The evolution and progress of
a woman's life are somewhat captured in her reflection of an
endlessly revolving path of life.
Lenny Adisuria looks at her painting skills as a adventure in
color. Big oil close-ups of brightly colored cockerels in
Chatting (70cm x 70cm) are classified as abstract-realism.
For Roelijati Soewarjono, the eldest of the group and teacher
to some of the members, the black and white hues are all it takes
to express the values of the journey of her soul. Her best work
is Expatriate Ladies' Monthly Morning (90cm x 70cm).
Seemun Suparno is perhaps the most articulate minimalist --
speaking volumes for her art and talent with minimal strokes of
the brush. Figure (70cm x 50cm) is perhaps her ideal way of
saying "less is more", which expresses the rhythm, movement and
simplicity of lines.
And last, but not least, is Ludwina Ismail, the modern art
exponent who takes on her life and easels with the same passion
and enthusiasm. Her painting, Girl with Guitar, is full of
bright, happy colors and shows her love for life and all that is
beautiful.
The wide range of emotive perceptions that the exhibition
promises to deliver is something only an onlooker can feel. A
visit would perhaps touch one's soul, even if it is for a moment
only.
The exhibition is on from 29 April through May 12 at New Koi
Restaurant, Saberro House, Jl. Kemang Raya 10A, South Jakarta.