Jeihan's black-eyed women make return to Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Expressionist painter Jeihan Sukmantoro opened on Friday his first solo exhibition this year at Soka Gallery, Jakarta, unveiling 60 paintings, of which 30 form his newest collection.

Exhibition curator Chandra Johan said that in this exhibition patrons could see Jeihan's evolution.

"Jeihan has freed his emotion in portraying the essence of his characters. He has abandoned his pallet and shifted to a large brush, with which he uses spontaneous and powerful strokes," Chandra said in a press release.

Jais Hadiana Dargawidjaja, an international art promoter and owner of Darga & Landsberg Gallery, Paris, also said in a release that she had been waiting for Jeihan's exhibition.

"The gaze of the black eyes in Jeihan's paintings conceals a secret," Jais said in comment on Jeihan's signature motif.

In 1999, Jais promoted Jeihan in Paris, organizing a solo exhibition for him, which, she said, was a great success.

In his newest pieces, Jeihan, as usual, has portrayed mainly women. Prices of the newest paintings range from Rp 110 million (US$12,222) to Rp 700,000 million.

His new painting on noted poet Sapardi Djoko Damono, though, is not for sale.

"Jeihan has been a longtime friend since my time in Solo (Surakarta)," said Sapardi, who attended the opening ceremony and recited a poem for the occasion.

Jeihan was born in Boyolali, Central Java, 67 years ago. He studied art at Bandung Institute of Technology but did not complete his degree. From his marriage to Sri Sunarsih he has six children.

Jeihan, who has produced an estimated 3,000 paintings, has a studio, Studio Jeihan, in Bandung, West Java.

The exhibition was scheduled to run from July 29 through Aug. 7.

"If we get a warm reception from the public, we shall extend the run," Soka Gallery owner Reyna Purein said.

The gallery first opened its doors in Kemang, South Jakarta, in January this year.

The gallery has in its collection approximately 450 paintings and 20 sculptures by realist, expressionist, abstract, impressionist and modern art practitioners like Baron Basuning and Hendra Gunawan.

The price of paintings in the gallery ranges from Rp 5 million to Rp 750 million.

in box Jeihan Sukmantoro solo exhibition Movement in Inertia, Inertia in Movement July 29 through Aug. 7 Soka Gallery Jl. Kemang Selatan Raya No. 31 South Jakarta

tel. 7823019 www.sokagallery.com