Picasso among axhibits at new city art gallery

JAKARTA (JP): Art lovers can have their fill of masterpieces by old masters and contemporary works by new artists at a new gallery recently opened here, an assistant art advisor has said.

Wirasti Wiryono said Galerie Sepia, opened at Jakarta's Shangri-La hotel on Feb. 28, offers "a varied collection of 17th century European old masters and masterpieces as well as works of five local artists under contract". The parent gallery is in Paris.

With 10 paintings sold already, the gallery boasts an original Picasso lithograph, L'ecuyere (Woman horse rider in circus ring), priced at US$14,850, and Still Life With Lobster And Nautilus, an oil-on-wood painting by Pieter Van Overschee (1640-1672) which belonged to the prince of Liechtenstein and which is priced at US$88,000.

Led by Sorbonne graduate Pascal Vu An, the gallery is currently exhibiting 24 paintings and 10 sculptures by local artists under contract, 14 paintings and one sculpture by international artists and a few works by independent local artists.

Works by local artists are priced between Rp 2.5 million to Rp 20 million while international works are priced between US$11,000 and $88,000.

"All 10 sold were (paintings) by local artists," Wirasti said.

Galerie Sepia maintains galleries in Geneva, Hong Kong and Taipei and plans to open galleries in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Shanghai by the end of the year. (02)