Indonesia seen through the eyes of a Filipino artist

Eleanor San Jose, Contributor, Jakarta

In today's post-colonial world, race, ethnic issues and national pride bubble just beneath the surface of globalization. There is the inevitable debate about location, origin and nationality.

As people move out of their land of birth to settle in other countries, the borders are becoming a blur and the resulting art is more often than not an amalgamation of influences, history and culture.

From neighboring Philippines, one of its highly regarded artists, who personify this "global soul", is Jakarta resident Fernando Modesto.

"Indonesia is my second home, my family and I have lived here for many years and it's inevitable that I am influenced by its culture, colors and textures" says Modesto.

Not one to believe in boundaries, he freely uses the influences of his environment and his own personal history to create a body of works he deftly calls "Indonesian mindscapes".

A collection of 18 oil paintings created for this special exhibit is sponsored by the Embassy of the Philippines as part of this year's Independence Day celebration at the Shangri La hotel in Central Jakarta from June 10 to June 16.

The paintings feature abstract expressionist Indonesian landscapes.

"But I consider them as more than just landscapes, I prefer to call them mindscapes -- it's the Indonesia that I have captured in my mind's eye ... in my heart and my imagination," adds the artist.

The mindscapes come alive in vibrating colors of bright blues, greens, electric yellows, and oranges -- one can sometimes discern familiar Indonesian landmarks emerging from the color fields. The mindscapes are impressionistic renditions built layer by layer with buttery daubs of paint and spontaneous dashes of color.

The large canvasses literally glow and throb with primary colors. "I have visited many parts of Indonesia and it's a fascinating country with so much visual stimulation to offer", says Modesto who represented the Philippines in the 1996 Contemporary Art of Non-Aligned countries in Jakarta.

Modesto has compatriots who have been inspired by Indonesia, particularly Bali. Foremost among them is J. Elizalde Navarro (1924-1999) who has been proclaimed a national artist of the Philippines. Another is Roger San Miguel with his lyrical interpretation of Balinese folklore and more recently Ben Cabrera.

Modesto's paintings have also been featured in art exhibitions not only in the Philippines and Jakarta but also in Sweden, Hong Kong, China, London, Brazil and Japan.

The sights, people, diversity, the playful spirit and warm hospitality -- Modesto sees many similarities between his homeland and Indonesia.

"Wherever we traveled, we saw similar landscapes of tropical forests, emerald paddies, blue seas and skies. But instead of churches, one sees the familiar domes of mosques. What I find even more fascinating are the warm smiles and friendly faces, you'll find them in both places. There's more to Indonesia than bustling Jakarta or mystical Bali or Borobodur. I have tried to capture the special spirit of Indonesia in my canvasses" adds the artist.

Fernando Modesto was selected as one of 13 artists by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He won top prize at the Art Association of the Philippines in the early 1980s and spent a year in London at St. Martin's School of Art as a British Council Scholar.

In one of the articles about his work he says, "Indonesia has enriched my visual experience so much. I came here a stranger but I have taken more interest in the culture over the years. These influences together with day-to-day occurrences, thoughts and the context I'm presently in, this mixture of East and West, this ad- hoc blending is reflected in my paintings".

Like Indonesia, the Philippines emerged from its colonial experience -- Spanish and American, with its culture, customs and tradition now indelibly tinged by a western baptism of technology.

The exhibit will be formally opened by the Philippines Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Leonides Caday, on the evening of June 10 before the annual Independence Day Ball sponsored and organized by various groups led by the Philippines Women's Association and others.

This is Fernando Modesto's first time at putting together a body of work on Indonesia that will definitely prove popular, not only with his many collectors but for those who will view his works for the first time. (View Modesto's work at his website thedigitalmine.com/modesto).