Young artists push for glass painting revival
Young artists push for glass painting revival
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Although contemporary batik
paintings have become predominant and attract art observers and
collectors, glass paintings used to be highly valued. Today, many
young painters are trying to revive glass painting as a
collectible art.
Dhira Senam, 26, a flamboyant and energetic glass painter, is
obsessed with promoting his new glass painting technique of
pointillism, something he has done since 1990.
His distinctive works are a blend of advanced technology and
the ability to portray traditional and natural values of
contemporary significance.
The process is unique and produces unusual points of view.
"You can comprehend the process and beauty by looking on the
reverse side of the glass," he said.
He realizes that he will not get rich painting glass, but he
has vowed to make the art popular.
Sena's art career started with designing furniture after
studying furniture design at the Indonesian Arts Institute in
Solo. Then he started exploring new forms of dot painting on
glass.
"Art is a process that emerges individually, helps one's
thought discern a thing in his or her environment and analyze it.
At the same time one feels a great sensation. Then, the thought
changes, creates a new thing in accordance with the condition,"
he said.
At the moment, he is obsessed with pointillism. Dots make up
most of his works which reflect traditional and natural values.
"When I first started to paint, I was overwhelmed by the
effect of nature," said Sena, adding that nature has a different
effect on colors.
The impact of pointillism and traditional values on Sena's
work is obvious in the way he relates to almost all aspects of
nature without differentiating between the material and
immaterial.
Some people find that knowing the conceptional background
helps them appreciate Sena's paintings. Others find themselves
drawn inexplicably to his work, without knowledge of the
direction of his painting.
Sena has perfected an aging technique. He covers the glass
with a special substance before painting on it to make the result
look natural. All his paintings are subdued.
His works have found places in art collections, and he often
receives orders from businesspeople in Jakarta, Surabaya and
Bali.
So far, he has finished 108 glass paintings of Borobudur
temple, wayang figures, plants, animals and landscapes. He makes
use of dominant colors. He spends at least three days on each
painting. The prices of his works vary from Rp 150,000 (US$75) to
Rp 2.5 million.
The number of exhibitions listed in his catalog reveals that
Dhira Sena is a productive artist. He has participated in
exhibitions in Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Bali.
-- Markus Mardius