Love of painting a sister act for one family

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