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Lot Essay
One of the most significant artists within the canon of 20th Century Southeast Asian art, Affandi is considered one of three key modern artists in Indonesian modern art history alongside S. Sudjojono and Hendra Gunawan. Essentially self-taught, Affandi began painting steeped in Indonesian arts and culture. He developed an interest in painting early in his life. At the tender age of seven, he was reputed to be able to draw from memory the whole pantheon of wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) figures that remain till today an integral part of Indonesian visual culture. Affandi is known for his expressive plototan technique whereby he painted directly from the tube, resulting in gestural works comprised mainly of solid colours. On the immediacy of his artistic production, Affandi said: “When I painted, I did not use my ability to reason and my rationality; instead, I put away my brain”. With this technique Affandi was able to directly express his emotional connection to his subject by being completely present in the moment.
Without a doubt, emotion is the essential element in the artist's work, as art historian Astri Wright writes: “Affandi's style has been called expressionistic but to him his works were more true to the subject than any degree of photorealisim could have been - an honesty which had more to do with emotional experience than with intellectual analysis.” Thus the work of Affandi is unique in its own even though he shares both emotional and technical affinity with the giants of Western art movements, a uniqueness that is deeply rooted in the artist's own perception of identity, culture, and art.
Painted in 1981, Ka’bah presents an aerial view of Islam's most sacred mosque, the Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca. Like Borobudur, the site is sacred and also significant for the Muslim denomination, and is the most important destination for the Muslim pilgrimage. Ka’bah or kaaba is a symbol of devotion to Muslims around the world as the final destination of their annual religious pilgrimage, the hajj . Coloured predominantly in deep black and outlined with fiery yellow, red, and just a hint of emerald, the Kaaba anchors the scene solidly amidst the sea of pilgrims. The work showcases the intensity of the hajj journey as the pilgrims perform tawaf – circumambulating the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. This ritual is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of their God.
The figures rendered with Affandi’s distinctive lines are heavily influenced by the forms of traditional Javanese wayang kulit puppets. Affandi picks out the outermost ring of devotees in stark black paint, but as they come closer to the Kabba, they become rendered in white, indistinguishable from one another as they swell around the Kabba in collective harmony. The blazing heat of the Kaaba compound as evoked by the merciless swirls of red and yellow paint that lash downwards from the sun is subtly juxtaposed by its surroundings. Cool green hills and a rich blue sky frame the scene, and serve to heighten the drama and emotive impact of the central scene.
In Ka’bah, Affandi seeks to capture the energy of the sun, his favourite element and frequent emblem in many of his paintings. Exaggerated in size, the sun appears to descend from the sky, bursting forth with fierce intensity in its position directly above the Kabba. Bearing down against the devotees, the sun’s rays also appear to protectively frame the central scene as if in an embrace. A key symbol as the source of energy and life, the sun here embodies the complexities of the religious experience, and specifically in relation to the Muslim pilgrimage, assuring the worshippers the protection and certainty of their faith amidst the grueling heat and hard journey of the hajj.
Layered with thick, tactile impasto, the resultant work is one replete with tactility and depth. Affandi evokes a sensorial experience of the hajj as we consider our relative in significance in relation to the majesty of a higher power. The perspective of the scene suggests a view impossible from the individual level of the pilgrim, and suggest perhaps, how the scene might appear to the subject of worship. Affandi presents then, the beauty of devotion and the paternal protection of his god.
Widely travelled, Affandi was uniquely placed to capture eclectic scenes of daily life from different parts of the world and constantly reaffirms his positon as an exceptional artist through his ability to distil and convey emotion through the expressiveness of his paint. Being himself firmly religious, Ka’bah is an intimate representation of his own deep faith.
Without a doubt, emotion is the essential element in the artist's work, as art historian Astri Wright writes: “Affandi's style has been called expressionistic but to him his works were more true to the subject than any degree of photorealisim could have been - an honesty which had more to do with emotional experience than with intellectual analysis.” Thus the work of Affandi is unique in its own even though he shares both emotional and technical affinity with the giants of Western art movements, a uniqueness that is deeply rooted in the artist's own perception of identity, culture, and art.
Painted in 1981, Ka’bah presents an aerial view of Islam's most sacred mosque, the Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca. Like Borobudur, the site is sacred and also significant for the Muslim denomination, and is the most important destination for the Muslim pilgrimage. Ka’bah or kaaba is a symbol of devotion to Muslims around the world as the final destination of their annual religious pilgrimage, the hajj . Coloured predominantly in deep black and outlined with fiery yellow, red, and just a hint of emerald, the Kaaba anchors the scene solidly amidst the sea of pilgrims. The work showcases the intensity of the hajj journey as the pilgrims perform tawaf – circumambulating the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. This ritual is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of their God.
The figures rendered with Affandi’s distinctive lines are heavily influenced by the forms of traditional Javanese wayang kulit puppets. Affandi picks out the outermost ring of devotees in stark black paint, but as they come closer to the Kabba, they become rendered in white, indistinguishable from one another as they swell around the Kabba in collective harmony. The blazing heat of the Kaaba compound as evoked by the merciless swirls of red and yellow paint that lash downwards from the sun is subtly juxtaposed by its surroundings. Cool green hills and a rich blue sky frame the scene, and serve to heighten the drama and emotive impact of the central scene.
In Ka’bah, Affandi seeks to capture the energy of the sun, his favourite element and frequent emblem in many of his paintings. Exaggerated in size, the sun appears to descend from the sky, bursting forth with fierce intensity in its position directly above the Kabba. Bearing down against the devotees, the sun’s rays also appear to protectively frame the central scene as if in an embrace. A key symbol as the source of energy and life, the sun here embodies the complexities of the religious experience, and specifically in relation to the Muslim pilgrimage, assuring the worshippers the protection and certainty of their faith amidst the grueling heat and hard journey of the hajj.
Layered with thick, tactile impasto, the resultant work is one replete with tactility and depth. Affandi evokes a sensorial experience of the hajj as we consider our relative in significance in relation to the majesty of a higher power. The perspective of the scene suggests a view impossible from the individual level of the pilgrim, and suggest perhaps, how the scene might appear to the subject of worship. Affandi presents then, the beauty of devotion and the paternal protection of his god.
Widely travelled, Affandi was uniquely placed to capture eclectic scenes of daily life from different parts of the world and constantly reaffirms his positon as an exceptional artist through his ability to distil and convey emotion through the expressiveness of his paint. Being himself firmly religious, Ka’bah is an intimate representation of his own deep faith.