When Semar rides the Chinese dragon

Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta

Semar Chinese Art Gallery, owned by Chinese-Indonesian, Christine Ivonella, was opened in Malang, East Java by noted Chinese Indonesian art collector, Dr. Oei Hong Djien of Magelang, Central Java in June.

This gallery is one of the few such establishments in Malang, while most of the galleries are found in Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya and are generally owned by Chinese- Indonesians.

The establishment of this gallery, under the curatorship of Djuli Djatiprambudi of Surabaya, is specifically intended to introduce cultural diversity, in particular art works from China and Indonesia.

Other galleries, like Edwin Gallery, Mon Decor, Malinda Gallery and Andy Gallery -- all in Jakarta -- usually feature art works that sell well and become the talk among art enthusiasts.

They do not specialize in Chinese art works. Several of them are more interested in promoting young fine artists regardless of race, sex or religion.

It is common knowledge that Chinese-Indonesians play a key role in the country's fine art development.

Aside from controlling the art market through their galleries, they also play a dominant role in art discourses as observers, critics and curators.

In addition, Chinese-Indonesians are also dominant in terms of art collections, art auctions, art book publications, the organization of art competitions and the sale of art materials.

To introduce Semar Gallery to art buffs, Christine Ivonella has arranged a roving exhibition of the works of Chen Jiu Lin, deputy rector of China's Guang Zhou Art University, in six major cities up to March 2004. The first city to host this exhibition is Jakarta, at the Indonesian National Gallery. The other cities are Semarang, Magelang, Surabaya, Malang and Denpasar.

Chen is one of the artists to receive a life-long financial grant from the Chinese government and his name is listed in the Who's Who of Noted Chinese Artists.

Despite his popularity in his country, he is relatively unknown in Indonesia. He is less popular here than contemporary artist Fang Lijun, who has just taken part in CP Open Biennale, or Zhang Shengyuan aka Kuang Da, a tradition-based modern artist, who led a group of university-educated Chinese artists that held an exhibition in Jakarta and Surabaya late last year.

Ivonella further said that she opted to exhibit Chen's works as a token of gratitude to her master. For the last decade, she said, she has been seriously studying Chinese art in China, particularly Guang Zhou, and learning to paint in the Chinese style under Chen's tutorship.

Chen's 43 works in this exhibition, made in Chinese ink on rice paper, feature objects generally taken up by Chinese artists such as a valley scene, a mountain and a waterfall, horses, chickens, tigers, egrets, lotus and mei flowers and human figures.

These works are presented in either the classical or modern style, in black-and-white or in limited colors in the bluish, greenish, brownish and reddish nuances. Just like most Chinese paintings, each of Chen's works is accompanied by a note in Chinese characters.

In this context, Tchang Yen-yuan, an art expert of the 9th century said, "If they (the artists) find it beyond themselves to express their thoughts in their paintings, they will inscribe some characters. If they cannot express their ideas in writing, they will paint."

It may be jarring, however, when the written message is not in tune with the essence of the painting.

We know that an egret symbolizes longevity. However, in a painting called Egret - May You Have a Long Life, the egret looks tired, weak and spiritless.

The painting called Horse does not look robust enough, quite a contradiction to the inscription on the top left-hand corner of the painting that says that this horse from the Southern Mountain can gallop for thousands of miles.

The essence of a painting, even in China, must be seen in the painting itself, not in the "footnote". Therefore, we must honestly acknowledge that The Panorama of Gui Lin Mountain, a painting made in the classical style, regardless of its inscription, is indeed beautiful.

A country with a population of 1.3 billion people, China has boasted innumerable artists through the ages, from the days of royal dynasties of yore to the contemporary era.

Today, China is a dragon writhing to confirm its seat as Asia's biggest nation; poised to conquer the world.

The newly opened Semar Gallery, is like Semar, the mythological court jester in the Javanese shadow puppet story, riding on the broad back of the powerful dragon.