Noor Ibrahim extracts beauty out of deformity

T.Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta

Beauty is not always associated with smoothness, neatness and orderliness. Deformity can also entail its own form of inner beauty.

And that is what sculptor Noor Ibrahim presents in his unique metal works currently on display here.

He has created a number of "angels" made of stainless steel, bronze and cooper -- some with arms reaching out -- but don't expect lovely, cherubic faces as they are all totally deformed.

The one titled Madonna does not look like the diva at all -- the only similarity possibly being the crucifix around her neck. Looking at these sculptures, however, one can feel their inner strength and magnificence.

His works are being exhibited at the CSIS building on Jl. Tanah Abang 3/27, Central Jakarta, until Thursday.

"I am glad that my work is different from that produced by other artists," Ibrahim proudly told The Jakarta Post recently.

What's unique is not just his art, but also the processes by which he creates it.

Ibrahim, 37, endured four long, painful years before he discovered them -- by chance -- in 1998.

He had stopped making sculpture due to his frustration as he felt that he was failing to create good pieces. Instead, he became an antique trader -- a business he learned from his mother.

But he was always restless as he felt that something was missing in his life.

He then made up his mind to go back to sculpture and put his all into the effort to produce a good piece. In order to be able to concentrate on his work, he needed to be alone in his house in Yogyakarta, and even asked his wife and three daughters to spend the night in a relative's home.

He managed to finish his work but was disappointed with the female metal figure. At one stage he got drunk, took a hammer and hit the sculpture repeatedly before throwing it out of the house.

"It was almost midnight and my neighbors were angry with me because I was making such a racket," he recalled.

In the morning, his wife and children returned home and found the piece.

"My wife told me it was good, but I was hurt because I thought she was teasing me," Ibrahim said.

But things changed when his daughters admired the deformed figure and discussed the work among themselves.

"The youngest one touched the wrinkles, and said: `This is a river, this is a valley and that is a mountain'. I was startled and then I realized what was there behind the random designs," he said.

Ibrahim was born in Magelang, Central Java, in 1966 but grew up in Surabaya, East Java. He was the fifth of eight children. His mother sold antiques while his father was an instructor at the National Military Academy in Magelang.

He had been fond of art since he was a kid. When he was in fourth grade of elementary school, he started to learn how to paint.

At the age of 16 he won first prize in a competition to draw animals held by a zoo in Surabaya. After graduating from high school he continued his studies at the Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta.

Ibrahim knew that he always wanted to become an artist even though he realized that the life of an artist could be hard -- as far as money was concerned, at any rate.

While many parents here often frown upon the idea of their children becoming artists, Ibrahim said that his parents did not object at all.

"In fact, they always supported me. If all parents were like them, maybe our art world could develop better," he said.

He majored in sculpture instead of painting as he felt that he already knew some painting techniques and wanted to learn something different.

It took him eight years to complete his studies. One of the reasons why he was unable to finish sooner was because the institute often received projects from the government to produce sculptures and asked the students to lend a hand, Ibrahim explained.

As a student he was thankful, but soon realized that such projects could affect the creativity of the students as they made them spend more time worrying about completing the order rather than developing their creativity.

In 1991 he married Theresia Yuyun, a biology teacher at a high school in Surabaya. Moving to Yogyakarta, she left the teaching profession and opened a food stall in their new home, selling soto (chicken soup) and roast chicken.

"As a matter of fact, my income as an artist was far from enough. We relied on the food stall," said Ibrahim, who often helped his wife deliver the food to her customers.

But Ibrahim was not discouraged. He kept painting and making sculptures, and took part in a number of exhibitions. He also started to learn how to make sculptures from metal, something he was not taught at the art institute.

"I learnt how to weld from a roadside ironmongers," he recalled.

More people began to appreciate his sculptures after he started applying his current unique style in the late 1990s. He is especially grateful to the Magelang-based tobacco businessman and art collector Oei Hong Djien, who encouraged him to keep working.

Ibrahim, whose works now cost at least Rp 7 million (US$825) per piece, realizes that artists are somewhat emotional and they often work in accordance with their moods. As for himself, he always tries to balance his emotions through meditation.

"Otherwise, I could go crazy," he said, adding that some artists became insane as they failed to control their emotions.