Love of painting a sister act for one family
Yoni Astuti, Contributor, Surabaya
Farida Wijaya knew she had a small problem on her hands. Every morning, her second daughter, Francisca Agustina Candra, then aged three, would wake up and proceed to doodle with color pencils all over the family home in Surabaya.
To save her walls from further damage, she gave the child paper to draw on and soon realized the little girl had some artistic talent. Although Farida and her husband Benny have no artistic inclinations, both have uncles who were artists.
Farida sent her daughter to a painting teacher, and later her eldest daughter, Sisylia Octavia Candra, who was at that time five years old and still taking ballet lessons, was interested in joining the course with her sister.
After studying for several months, Sisylia participated in a painting competition in 1992. She won top prize in the competition, which was held in Malang municipality.
Farida subsequently gave birth to two more daughters -- Grace Florencia Candra and Nathania Caroline Candra. In their early years, the two children were also interested in painting. Like their elder sisters, they received guidance from the same teacher at the same art school.
Remarkably, all four daughters -- Sisylia, 15, now in her third year of junior high school, Francisca, 13, a first year student in junior high, Grace, 12, in the sixth grade of elementary school, and Nathania, nine, an elementary school third grader -- have proved that they have artistic talent.
At an age when most of us are thinking about our next term paper, they have published a joint autobiography, 4 Sekandung Menapak Serentak Titian Prestasi (Four Siblings Together Taking Steps to Achievement).
In their two-story house, some 250 framed paintings of theirs crowd the living room, family room, garage and even space near the kitchen area. Unframed works are neatly kept in the corner of the family room.
They have won numerous regional, national and international painting competitions for children, including in Norway, Germany, India, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the U.S. In May 2001, the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) granted a certificate of appreciation to the four sisters for their outstanding achievement in winning, at that time, a total of 902 awards.
Several of their paintings are found in the private collections of prominent figures, such as education minister Yahya Muhaimin, the East Java governor, the Malang mayor, some foreign ambassadors to Indonesia, even the current Miss Universe Denise Quinones of Puerto Rico. The International Museum of Children's Art in Norway also has some of their work.
Most recently, they have been acclaimed by the Children's Art Studio St. Cyril and Methodius Bitola for The Small Monmartre of Bitola 2002 contest next week in Macedonia. Sisylia will be awarded the Golden Palette and Franciska a diploma for their entries.
Success did not come by chance. The talent, enthusiasm and perseverance of each, along with the support and guidance of their parents and teachers, helped them in their artistic achievement.
Subanu, 51, and Yuliana, 48, the married couple who are their painting instructors, said it was easy to give guidance to the four girls because they had the talent and drive to produce fine artwork. They paint based on their own ideas, so they will never lose inspiration, they added.
Subanu and Yuliana said they never directed the girls to copy their teachers in their work, but instructed them to freely pour their expression into their paintings. Each of the four has her own character and desires, and it comes through in their individual artwork.
The style of their paintings is expressionistic. They produce art based on ideas derived from their experience, knowledge and social lives. Their interest in the arts, culture and the environment is reflected in their paintings of folktales like Yuyu Kangkang, Balinese and Javanese traditional dances, plus common games like panco, kelerang and dakon.
Besides painting on paper, they also use other media, such as canvas, bamboo hats, trays, T-shirts, ice skates, even water containers and plastic garbage cans.
They paint whenever they feel the wish, and Farida keeps painting equipment, like paper, canvases and brushes, on hand all the time at home.
"They can paint anywhere, even while watching television. It is very good so that they don't isolate themselves and can socialize with the other members of the family," Farida said.
But, is it actually their parents who get a kick out of having their kids participate in the contests?
"No," all four girls answered in unison.
"We paint because we like it, so there are no feelings of boredom or pressure. If I don't have an idea, I won't paint," Sisylia said.
"I never push them to take part in painting contests. If they want to, I only support them. For the contests abroad, my job is only to remind them about the time limit to finish their paintings and send their work off to the organizer."
Besides painting, the sisters also occupy themselves with other activities. Grace and Nathania play the violin while Sisylia and Franciska study graphic design. Nathania studies ballet and modern dance. They also study English and Mandarin.
Except for Nathania, who is determined to become a painting teacher, the girls are not sure what they want to become as adults, answering that their career goals change all the time.
So, do they like to sell their paintings?
They said they did not mind as long as the pieces were not their favorites. One day, however, they want to own a joint gallery and call it "Kanya-Puri", Sanskrit for the "castle of the girls".
The girls' works can be viewed, by appointment only, at their home (tel. 031-7311431/7321065). For further information, visit www.artiscilik.com