Painting

Reflecting the works of Balinese artist Wayan Apel Hendrawan: Ibu Pertewi as an allergory and Balinese cultural concepts

70 x 70 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2017

 

A women who closes her eyes as if in pain, is what we see first when we look at this painting. On her forehead a small detail of her headdress peaks out. Around her cheeks green and brown leaves and the branches of trees sprout. With great power in the left part of the painting a volcano erupts. It spies fire and all colours from underneath converge under the top of the volcano’s cone as if sucked in there with great energy. In the background we see red and blue colour.

But why is the women wearing a headdress? In fact, we could ask if this is a human face or if it’s a tree. We would then notice that there is no line between them. Trees and face are blurring. Her head extends into the other scenery of nature: The erupting volcano that is causing smoke which is ascending into the hot, red sky. By using the same colour of brown for the trees and the volcano it is suggested that the women, the tree and the volcano are one unit and inseparable. But why is that?

To better understand the artist’s thinking and idea, let’s have a look at another painting:

70 x 70 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2017

A large tree with roots hanging down from the top, which marks it as the one and only Banyan tree, stands in the foreground. The actual surprising thing for a non-Balinese person is, that its trunk is wrapped up in black and white checked cloth, the “saput poleng”. The dark coloured roots together with the trunk form a tunnel through which a female face in front of blue colour shimmers through. Her eyes are closed. Also we can see Balinese Sanskrit letters scratched into the brown colour. The composition of the painting with half tree and half face is very balanced.

To understand Hendrawans’ works, we need to immerse deeper into Balinese Hindu thinking. A Banyan tree to a Balinese Hindu is not just a tree. It is a sacred place in which deceased ancestors use to live and hang out. It emits a large amount of energy. A tree marked with the “saput poleng“ means that there resides a spirit within. Balinese people show great respect to the tree, not because it is a tree but because it is a sacred place. The “saput poleng“ (means “two toned blanket”) not only guards the energy within the tree but also keeps the sanctity of the tree intact.

On a meta-level the “saput poleng“ with its black and white checked surface perfectly represents the Balinese principle of “Rwa Bhineda” which is the base of Balinese Hindu mindset. Other than people from Western cultures Balinese people do not think in opposites. Of course there are black and white, sacred and profane, good and bad. But there is a third scheme that includes a third position, the “center” which balances the opposites. These opposites cannot exist without each other. In Balinese thinking the world can be described BETWEEN good and evil. It is a co-existence between good and bad. The goal of each Hindu is to maintain the balance. Equilibrium can be reached by religious actions such as sacrifices. All demons representing the evil must be placated by offerings. This series of rites is called “Bhuta Yadnya” and it purifies the world from the evil spirits. The goal is not to erase the evil but to appease them to keep the balance. The “Dewa Yadnya” is the daily ceremony to appease the good spirits and the gods. Between the universe and the individual balance must always be obtained.[1]

Apel picks up this principle by balancing his composition into two halfs. Apart from being an artist Apel is a priest. His paintings can be seen as his way back to life, for he started painting after a long dark period in his life as a drug addict. Painting was his way out, the method that brought him back to life again. He regained his balance by practising for becoming a priest.

Not only is the Banyan tree sacred to Balinese Hindu people but it also contains a national reference, since it is part of the Indonesian Coat of Arms. Within this setting it corresponds to the state principle (called the Pancasila) which stands for the unity of the nation gathering many different cultures under one “roof”. Having expansive above-ground roots and branches the Banyan tree symbol perfectly reflects that Indonesia is one country out of many cultural roots.[2]

In Hendrawans’ these two works by Hendrawan the viewer observes a close connection between the women or the female face that is suggesting that it belongs to a women and the nature that she is surrounded by. Woman and nature are inseparable connected. But why is that?

An explanation can be found in the national cultural concept of “Ibu Pertewi”. “Ibu Pertiwi” is similar to the Western understanding of “Mother Nature”. But it is not the same. Ibu Pertiwi is an Indonesian theme which refers to nature AND Indonesia as a nation, as the motherland. It is a cultural concept, an allegory of land and water that understands Mother Nature as a nurturing and caring but at the same time also as a destroying force. “Ibu Pertewi” is the impersonation of the mother land of the country Indonesia. Her adjunctions are the woods and the ocean. Hendrawans’ works are full of them.

The patriotic aspect of the theme can be found in folk songs such as “Ibu Pertewi”. This song is very popular in Indonesia and sung by children and on Independence Day Celebrations. It addresses to Ibu Pertewi as the grieving Motherland, her eyes are crying and she is in sorrow in the first verse. The second verse then is a promise to make Ibu Pertewi happy again for the sake of their homeland, their nation.

“Kulihat ibu pertiwi (I see Ibu Pertewi)

Sedang bersusah hati (She is grieving)

Air matamu berlinang (Tears are running down her cheeks)

Mas intanmu terkenang (Remembering your lost golds and diamonds)

Hutan gunung sawah lautan (Forest, mountains, rice fields and the sea)

Simpanan kekayaan (Home of the treasures)

Kini ibu sedang susah (Now Mother is grieving)

Merintih dan berdoa (Sighing sadly and praying)

 

Kulihat ibu pertiwi (I see Ibu Pertewi)

Kami datang berbakti (We come to serve you)

Lihatlah putra-putrimu (Behold your sons and daughters)

Menggembirakan ibu (They will make Mother happy)

Ibu kami tetap cinta (Mother, we still love you)

Putramu yang setia (Your faithful sons)

Menjaga harta pusaka (Gurading the heirloom)

Untuk nusa dan bangsa (For our homeland and nation)”

 

So there lies an indirect promise in the anthem: By suggesting “Ibu Pertewi” is in sorrow, there is a reason to make her happy which can be achieved by serving her. And by serving her, you serve the Indonesian nation.

The allegory of “Ibu Pertewi” evokes the question of how people react towards the environment they are living in. The environmental issues are all present in our daily life. When you consider the environmental developments in Indonesia in general and in Bali more and more rice fields were turned into building sites for hotel projects or private villas. Bali attracts more and more people from other parts of Indonesia and from all parts of the world. This has its effects on the environment: The pollution of water and air and the disappearance of rice fields and forests causes irreversible damage to the land. Since 2016 there are plans to build an artificial island in Benoa Bay by an investor in the South of Bali. The tricky thing about this area is that it enjoyed conservation status since 2014 and thus is very worth keeping free of any construction plans.[4] The Benoa project has caused a protest movement of which Hendrawan was and is part of. By referring to “Ibu Pertewi” Hendrawan points out that she is not very happy of what happens to her country and reminds people of fulfilling the second verse of the national anthem to act responsibly towards nature and environment and to live in harmony with it.

Hendrawan showed his works at the Pasar Indonesia in 2017 where I met him in person and was grateful to study the original paintings and to immerse deeply into his biography and art works when translating the catalogue for his exhibition” Resurrection. Nature – Spiritual – Universe” to German language.

 

Source of images: Exhibition Catalogue: Hendrawan, Wayan Apel, Resurrection. Nature – Spiritual – Universe, 2017.

[1] Vgl. Eiseman, Fred B., Bali. Sekala and Niskala, Jakarta 1990, S. 226-229f.

[2] http://indahnesia.com/indonesia/INDCOA/coat_of_arms.php.

[3] The Guardian, Mounting opposition to Bali mass tourism project, 2016.

Gatot Indrajati’s “Right or Wrong My Home” is Southeastasian Painting of the Year

Gatot Indrajati, “Right or Wrong My Home”, 2016, Mixed Media (Acrylic and Metal), On Wood, 162 x 70 cm.

 

With his painting “Right or Wrong My Home” the Indonesian artist Gatot Indrajati won the “Painting of the Year” competition of the United Overseas Bank (UOB) for the second time since 2011. For the second time his work is celebrated as the overall winner of the four participating countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand). Together with the Award Gatot Indrajati receives 10,000 USD for the Southeast Asian Painting of the Year and 25,000 USD for winning the Indonesian category “Painting of the Year”. The winner is also given the opportunity to attend a residency program at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan. The jury is selected by the UOB and consists of art curators, artists and art professors from each of the participating country.

In Indrajati’s work we see an urban landscape in which people with no individual features walk through the crowded streets. The proportions are in disorder. The people are taller than cars, others correspond in size to what the viewer would call realistically; huge animal- figures fly around. In the bus at the left-hand-side we witness a rubbery which can be seen by the male figure that shows his knife. None of the pedestrians takes notice. A machine seems to control all activities at the cross-section behind the bus. Sea-animals fly through the streets; an astronaut tries to balance on one of the overland-cables. Some graffiti refer to social media platforms. The brown cat on the wood panel in the foreground seems to be the only living creature in the art work.

But why wood as material in this sterile scenario? Wood is a traditional material and it is Indrajati’s favourite material. He draws sketches on the pieces of wood and then carves the wooden figures into objects and decorative figures. The three-dimensional effect is created by painting the objects on the wooden panel and then pasting the wooden figures in multiple layers onto the panel.

But in which city are we actually? Can we tell? Are there any objects or places so that we can connect this city landscape with a specific place on earth? No, we can’t! The people in this art work seem to have no identity and the city itself doesn’t have either. In a city or in a world where social media creates the relations between people going through national borders, the actual space they are living in, becomes less relevant. “Home” then becomes a fluid spatial entity which is formed by sentiments, memories and habits.[1] Indrajati explains:

“In every nation, a city is inhabited by people with diverse social standing. The city becomes a symbol, or characteristic of a nation with cultural behaviour of its kind: A center of economy, governance, culture and crime. Foreign cultures flourish through the spread of digital technology, a new lifestyle, language, and a mindset that shapes the flock of citizens to behave similarly. Unconsciously, they turn into a robotic mode. As a nation that has undergone multiple life events, there is an attitude that we should be proud of; to survive and rise from the ordeal. Right or wrong my home.”

The title of the work reminds of the old patriotic saying “Right or wrong, my country!” In the same sense here in work Indrajati gives a reason why it is so important to have an identity as a nation and to not switch into “robotic-mode” and loosing individualtiy. By saying that, he is touching an important issue which is discussed a lot these days in Indonesia: How – with that many different cultures in Indonesia – can an Indonesian identity be found? What is the Indonesian identity? The answer is: Its plurality and diversity.[2

The lack of cultural institutions in Indonesia

When hearing about the UOB-competition, I was wondering: Is there no museum or cultural institution that can carry out a cultural event of that size? The answer is: NO. No, because no governmental structure for artistic education in Indonesia is existing. Out of this lack it is good that artists can participate in events like the UOB-contest to find an audience in order to receive access to the art market. Some private collectors also feel responsible and support young artists.[1] Without governmental institutions and official cultural political guidelines, there is no public space for global art. ALL activities and actions to absorb this lack are left to the private sector.

I can’t wait to introduce you to the other interesting Indonesian artists and topics and winners of the “Painting of the Year” contest in the next posts…

 

Biography Gatot Indrajati

Indrajati was born in 1980 and studied at the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta/ Java. Since then he participated in several exhibitions in Singapore, China and South Korea and won several awards. In the first minutes of this video you can have a look at Indrajati’s atelier:

 

 

[1] Painting of the Year-Catalogue, published by UOB, 2016, p. 11.
[2] See Spielmann, p. 16.
[3] See Spielmann, p. 16.

Picture by: UOB and Video: http://www.uobpoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/REGIONAL-ONLINE-360-smaller.mp4

The many faces of Marwan

Are you feeling overwhelmingly exhausted these days because of the tropical heat that we have here? Well, instead of sweating at the beach club I have a much better suggestion for you: Go and pay the perfectly well air-conditioned Gallery Sfeir-Semler a visit. The Marwan paintings that they are showing at the moment are totally fascinating: Faces that are landscapes or landscapes that are faces? You can’t tell. But the act of watching the paintings closely is such an adventure, you shouldn’t miss. In these paintings Marwan works with black charcoal and watercolours which results in very colourful paintings. Have a CLOSE look at them. The closer you get, the more it will get through to you…

The exhibition shows Marwans’ self-portraits between the years 1985 and 2014. The Syrian artist immigrated from Damaskus to Berlin in the late 1950s. What is so interesting about Marwan is the cultural background. To me it’s so mind blowing how different cultures are working together and how each is translated into the other “language” and something totally new is formed.

If you have cooled down after watching the paintings, well…still plenty of time to check out the beach, I’d reckon.