Dulu Kini: Modern & Contemporary Indonesian Art

Date: October 1 – 19, 2014
Venue: Curate, LG1-1, SENI Mont’ Kiara, 2a Changkat Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (permanently closed)

A brief survey on the development of art in Indonesia, the selling exhibition features 31 artworks by 24 Indonesian modern masters and contemporary artists including a rare 5 volume book illustrating the collection of President Soekarno compiled by Lee Man Fong.

The exhibition aims to showcase the artistic qualities embedded in the spirit of a nation rich in cultural and political history that have largely contributed to Indonesia’s diverse cultural expressions.

The selection of artists and artworks for Dulu Kini (Past Present) encapsulates a journey of a broad timeline in Indonesian art. Categorised by themes, the collection is assembled through an array of styles and medium. Much of the influence that shaped modern Indonesian art is widely attributed to the topographers and cartographers of the Dutch East Indies that came into conquest in 1800. Most of these draftsmen not only recorded the archipelago’s terrain, but also depicted the lives of various ethnic groups through their drawings in pencil, watercolour, ink, oil pastels or oil paint on paper and canvas. Among the artists showcased here who illustrate the grandeur of nature are Lucien Frits Ohl (1904-1976); Sudjono Abdullah (1911-1991); Koempoel Sujatno (1912-1987); R. Hadi (1958) and I Gusti Agung Wiranata (1970).

Figurative and portraiture is also one of the recurring themes in Indonesian paintings. In this show, artists who capture figurative images and incorporate daily livelihood into their works are Auke Cornelis Sonnega (1910-1963); Lee Man Fong (1913-1988); Sudarso (1914-2006); Basoeki Abdullah (1915-1993); Dullah (1919-1996); Popo Iskandar (1927-2000); Djoko Pekik (1938); Nyoman Gunarsa (1944); Arifien Neif (1955); Dede Eri Supria (1956) and Ida Bagus Putu Purwa (1976).

Unconventional methods of expressions such as conceptual and abstract are evident in the works of old master Sudjana Kerton (1922-1994) whose 1960 piece fit perfectly well alongside the works of contemporary artists FX Harsono (1949); Ugo Untoro (1970); Yunizar (1971); Erica Hestu Wahyuni (1971); Putu Sutawijaya (1971); Dipo Andy (1975); and Eko Nugroho (1977).

ARTWORKS

Originally published at: http://curate.com.my/exhibitions/dulu_kini_modern_contemporary_indonesian_art/

Link to pdf