Poet expresses Islamic views in painting expo

By Yogita Tahil Ramani

JAKARTA (JP): In one section of a hall, frames of 99 painstakingly inscripted Islamic definitions of the Almighty stare out, seemingly woven into colors on paper.

The Arabic, etched with gold and silver marker, is pronounced and unmarred on dried, mud-brown cigarette ash.

In another section, browsing through messages on colored ash- designed envelopes, one might find the answer to the Asmaul Husna calligraphic abstractions by the poet-cum-painter himself, A. Mustofa Bisri.

"If I should purposely paint the fiery outbursts of my heart, it would be quite difficult for me to find the colors and compose them."

His simple Islamic views are conveyed in thought-provoking style at the Aula Hall Art Gallery on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur, Central Jakarta.

The exhibition of 99 envelopes, 15 calligraphies and 10 paintings will close at 9 p.m. today.

A renowned poet and Islamic thinker, Mustofa has published 18 books on literature and Islam, containing powerful poetical reflections on political, social and cultural concerns in Islamic societies.

Hundreds of his works have been published in local newspapers, journals and magazines. Popularly known as Gus Mus, Mustofa, 53, is father of six daughters and a son.

Abstractions are undauntingly emphasized, with colors of fiery orange on black, viscous white and black on gray and other bold color combinations.

Noteworthy messages on the envelopes contrasted with more cryptic ones.

Expressions like "Don't think about how I scribble, just feel the product of my scribbling" had little in common with "I am not fond of dots, except the ones that are ongoing ... forming a line on which I walk on ... "

The exhibition opening last Saturday had its entertaining moments. At one point, both Mustofa and Fuad Hasan, former minister of education and culture, were told to "express themselves on canvas".

While Fuad wrote an Islamic expression with two markers tied together, Mustofa chose a gold marker to draw an abstraction.

During a question-answer session following the opening ceremony of the exhibition and its viewing, Fuad shared with the audience Mustofa's answer to one of life's nagging questions.

"I asked him that since God was the epitome of perfection, where was the need to create imperfect creatures like donkeys when He already created horses," Fuad said.

"Mustofa told me that opposites came in pairs to show people what was beauty, and what was not."

Mustofa himself gave the definitive description of his art and message.

"I portray something really simple, as something that cannot be trivialized."