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