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拍品专文
A TRIBUTE TO INDONESIA : AFFANDI AND GUNAWAN AT THE HEART OF A PRESTIGIOUS COLLECTION
The present group of three paintings by Affandi and Hendra Gunawan have been carefully chosen by a European diplomat who was based in Jakarta from 1971 to 1974. His particular interest in art and music has led him to build an impressive collection of eclectic art reflecting his travels, acquired throughout his various postings in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Porto, Brazzaville, Lagos and Lomé.
Affandi and Gunawan are both highly prominent leaders of modern Indonesian painting. It is no wonder our collector would have been drawn to their work, as Penari Bali (Balinese Dancer) (Lot 30), Horsemen (Lot 31), and Three Women (Lot 32) beautifully depict lively and colourful traditional scenes anchoring Indonesian culture into a larger world map. Christie’s is honoured to present such a coherent group, thoughtfully selected and revealing different aspects of Indonesian heritage.
The two artists’ chance encounter in 1939 would allow for mutual exchange and artistic influence, encouraging a unique blend of Western techniques and Indonesian imagery which would later drive them to lead the Indonesian modernist art movement, together with artist S. Sudjojono, under the shadow of one of the most tumultuous eras of Indonesian history. They lived through the Japanese invasion of Indonesia, saw the conclusion of World War II, witnessed the country’s fight against Dutch occupation and the achievement of independence. This success was followed soon thereafter by interna lpolitical turmoil under Sukarno’s “New Order” regime. It was during this latter period that Hendra Gunawan suffered the most, and had a thirteen-year incarceration as punishment for his involvement in the communist-sponsored Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (known as LEKRA, or the People’s Cultural Association).
The subject matters of Indonesian rural life depicted here highly contrast with the heavy political climate of 20th Century Indonesia... Affandi famously said: 'When I paint, I always want to become one with the object I paint. I lose myself, and then there is a feeling as if I'm going to fight against something.'
Gunawan’s Three Women is exemplary of his high technical skill and style. Anatomically, the three main figures bear features akin to the traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry, Wayang Kulit, with elongated limbs, thick feet, widely spaced toes, long necks, protruding noses and large eyes. Such stylisation gracefully emphasizes signs of tenderness between the women, where the attention of the viewer is directed to their generous and caring gaze, as well as to a physical contact initiated by a hand gently resting on the central figure’s knee.The intimate composition brings the viewer very close to the women,a slight turn of the head, or a straightforward look would easily invite us to join in the conversation.
Art historian Astri Wright observes that Hendra Gunawan’s female figures are “nourishing, nursing, mothering beauties, voluptuous andundulating bodies wrapped in brightly coloured cloth.” The artist often celebrated the meaningful, supportive relationships between women,whom he considered as pillars of the community. Our painting here is no exception, where the merging forms of the three women denote a special bond within the female group.
The bright yellow, blue and red hues of the women separates them from their toned-down backdrop. Upon closer inspection, a striking parallel can be seen as several figures gather upon a distant hill, suggesting the universality of such a gathering. Yet, the rough and blurred outlines of the tree and rolling hills emphasize the delicacy of the characters’ features and clothing, and helps shed light on the trio elevating the scene into a sacred moment. Here, Gunawan’s women are celebrated for their beauty, resilience and community.
Both Affandi and Gunawan continuously sought to translate the inner essence and qualities of their subjects, and craved to additionally convey their own emotions into the painting. The selection of these three exceptional paintings particularly demonstrate the importance of local customs and traditions as a tool for personal identification and pride. Through their eyes, the mundane is depicted as a valuable human experience, a moment worth looking for as it defines a people and core cultural values, and therefore guarantees posterity. It is no coincidence then that these paintings would have been chosen by our collector to accompany him subsequently throughout his life as a way to commemorate his time in Indonesia.
The present group of three paintings by Affandi and Hendra Gunawan have been carefully chosen by a European diplomat who was based in Jakarta from 1971 to 1974. His particular interest in art and music has led him to build an impressive collection of eclectic art reflecting his travels, acquired throughout his various postings in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Porto, Brazzaville, Lagos and Lomé.
Affandi and Gunawan are both highly prominent leaders of modern Indonesian painting. It is no wonder our collector would have been drawn to their work, as Penari Bali (Balinese Dancer) (Lot 30), Horsemen (Lot 31), and Three Women (Lot 32) beautifully depict lively and colourful traditional scenes anchoring Indonesian culture into a larger world map. Christie’s is honoured to present such a coherent group, thoughtfully selected and revealing different aspects of Indonesian heritage.
The two artists’ chance encounter in 1939 would allow for mutual exchange and artistic influence, encouraging a unique blend of Western techniques and Indonesian imagery which would later drive them to lead the Indonesian modernist art movement, together with artist S. Sudjojono, under the shadow of one of the most tumultuous eras of Indonesian history. They lived through the Japanese invasion of Indonesia, saw the conclusion of World War II, witnessed the country’s fight against Dutch occupation and the achievement of independence. This success was followed soon thereafter by interna lpolitical turmoil under Sukarno’s “New Order” regime. It was during this latter period that Hendra Gunawan suffered the most, and had a thirteen-year incarceration as punishment for his involvement in the communist-sponsored Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (known as LEKRA, or the People’s Cultural Association).
The subject matters of Indonesian rural life depicted here highly contrast with the heavy political climate of 20th Century Indonesia... Affandi famously said: 'When I paint, I always want to become one with the object I paint. I lose myself, and then there is a feeling as if I'm going to fight against something.'
Gunawan’s Three Women is exemplary of his high technical skill and style. Anatomically, the three main figures bear features akin to the traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry, Wayang Kulit, with elongated limbs, thick feet, widely spaced toes, long necks, protruding noses and large eyes. Such stylisation gracefully emphasizes signs of tenderness between the women, where the attention of the viewer is directed to their generous and caring gaze, as well as to a physical contact initiated by a hand gently resting on the central figure’s knee.The intimate composition brings the viewer very close to the women,a slight turn of the head, or a straightforward look would easily invite us to join in the conversation.
Art historian Astri Wright observes that Hendra Gunawan’s female figures are “nourishing, nursing, mothering beauties, voluptuous andundulating bodies wrapped in brightly coloured cloth.” The artist often celebrated the meaningful, supportive relationships between women,whom he considered as pillars of the community. Our painting here is no exception, where the merging forms of the three women denote a special bond within the female group.
The bright yellow, blue and red hues of the women separates them from their toned-down backdrop. Upon closer inspection, a striking parallel can be seen as several figures gather upon a distant hill, suggesting the universality of such a gathering. Yet, the rough and blurred outlines of the tree and rolling hills emphasize the delicacy of the characters’ features and clothing, and helps shed light on the trio elevating the scene into a sacred moment. Here, Gunawan’s women are celebrated for their beauty, resilience and community.
Both Affandi and Gunawan continuously sought to translate the inner essence and qualities of their subjects, and craved to additionally convey their own emotions into the painting. The selection of these three exceptional paintings particularly demonstrate the importance of local customs and traditions as a tool for personal identification and pride. Through their eyes, the mundane is depicted as a valuable human experience, a moment worth looking for as it defines a people and core cultural values, and therefore guarantees posterity. It is no coincidence then that these paintings would have been chosen by our collector to accompany him subsequently throughout his life as a way to commemorate his time in Indonesia.