Artist Profile: Andy Dewantoro (1973-Present)

Indonesian Artist

Image of artist. (Andy Dewantoro picture, n.d.).

Andy Dewantoro was born in 1973 in Tanjung Karang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Dewantoro mainly focused on architecture in his early years after education. He graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 2000 and his early art works inclined towards being abstract art. According to Dewantoro’s public CV on Sin Sin Art’s website (n.d.), it quotes that “during a residency in Europe Dewantoro was deeply impacted by the landscape paintings of 19^th century visionaries William Turner and John Constable, leading to a breakthrough in the development of his own, deeply auratic works” (para. 1). His artworks represent his fascination with landscape art and they remind us of how easily we forget and move on from physical infrastructure.

Please refer to this site for more information: http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach.html

References

Andy Dewantoro [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach.html

Sin Sin Art. (n.d.). Andy Dewantoro. Retrieved from http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach.html

The Forgotten (2013)

By Andy Dewantoro

Image of The Forgotten art work. (The Forgotten art work picture, n.d.)

The Forgotten is a mixed media creation by Dewantoro. Much like the rest of his art works, he draws inspiration from “seemingly abandoned” buildings and bridges (Sin Sin Art, n.d., para. 1). Here he demonstrates how the landscape itself defines the place and not the people that existed in it. Dewantoro captures the eerie essence very expertly, almost like “fading memories” probing the audience’s mental and psychological states; provoking thoughts in viewers (Sin Sin Art, n.d., para. 1).

To view more of Andy Dewantoro’s artworks and information, please visit this website: http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach.html

References

The Forgotten [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach_files/vlb_images0/andydewantoro_006.jpg

Sin Sin Art. (n.d). Andy Dewantoro. Retrieved from http://www.sinsinfineart.com/abhk13/andydewantoro_at_reach.html

Artist Profile: Made Wianta (1949-Present)

Indonesian Artist

Image of artist. (Made Wianta picture, n.d.).

Wianta was born in 1949 in the village of Apuan, Tabanan, Bali. As an artist, in a span of 2 decades he has created over 14,000 art works and is described to be energetic and has a ‘constantly moving character’ (Made Wianta, n.d., para. 1). Wianta is a multi-modal artist; from painting to installation art, to poetry, music and dance, Wianta has covered them all (Wianta, 2011, para. 1). His experience in diverse art forms give him many channels to express his artistry. Wianta is also reputed to be environmentally aware and socially responsible, contributing to the community through art installations and organised exhibitions such as “Water, Fire and Air” (1995) and “Sound and Nature” (1997). His creativity and zest in the arts industry has pushed him to be one of Indonesia’s most successful and respected artists.

For more information on Made Wianta, please visit his website: http://www.madewianta.com/index.html

References

BIASA Artspace: Made Wianta. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biasaart.com/BIASA_ArtSpace/made_wianta.html

Made Wianta [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biasaart.com/BIASA_ArtSpace/made_wianta.html

Wianta, M. (2011). The Artist. Retrieved from http://www.madewianta.com/the-artist.html

Purple Calligraphy (2010)

By Made Wianta

Image of painting. (Purple Calligraphy painting picture, n.d.).

This painting was done during Wianta’s Calligraphy period from the mid-1990s into the early 2000s (Wianta, 2011). According to a report by Savitri in the Jakarta Post (2001), it is believed that Wianta’s influence for his calligraphic artworks were inspired by a trip to Japan back then. Here his calligraphy covers the entire canvas in an organised splash of colours, Wianta’s personal style of having a rich texture being very distinct. Savitri also suggests that Wianta’s calligraphic works are “virtually an extension of his previous graphic-toned creations” (2001).

References

Purple Calligraphy [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.madewianta.com/caligraphi.html

Savitri, A. (2001, November 22). Made Wianta traces grace and beauty of calligraphy. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2001/11/22/made-wianta-traces-grace-and-beauty-calligraphy.html

Wianta, M. (2011). Painting: Calligraphy period. Retrieved from http://www.madewianta.com/caligraphi.html

Dream Land (Installation Art Series, 2002)

By Made Wianta

Image of promotional poster for installation art exhibition. (Dream Land promtional poster picture, n.d.).

     In Wianta’s Dream Land, the irony between the exhibition title and the exhibitions themselves is distinct. Wianta reflects the situation in Bali during the period of the notorious terrorist bombings that rocked the whole of South East Asia (Hendratmo-Brown, 2011). Images of the horrific scenes and moments after the attacks are meant to be displayed all over the viewing space. Eight human remains are placed, facing eight different directions, on a dense pile of rice grains as the main installation of the exhibition (Coteau, 2003, para. 4).

References

Coteau, J. (2003). The Kuta bombing: Wianta’s scream of horror. Retrieved from http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/message.asp?Id=1191

Dream Land installation art exhibition promotional poster [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.madewianta.com/dreamland.html

Hendratmo-Brown, D. (2011, July 11). Made Wianta: Razor sharp. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/07/11/made-wianta-razor-sharp.html

Artist Profile: Ahmad Zakii Anwar (1955-Present)

Malaysian Artist

Image of artist. (Ahmad Zakii Anwar picture, n.d.)

Ahmad Zakii Anwar, born in 1955 in Malaysia, is one of the most accomplished individuals in fine art both locally and regionally. He graduated from the School of Art and Design from MARA Institute of Technology Malaysia and started out being a graphic designer. His engaging works in the advertising industry made him known for producing creative, captivating adverts. He became a full-time artist only in 1991 (Ahmad Zakii Anwar, n.d., para. 1). Although Muslim and Islamic religious art rarely incline towards figurative arts, Zakii dives into that style determinedly (Kolesnikov-Jessop, 2007, para. 2-3). His various art series (eg. Standing Figure series, Malay Mak Yong actors series…) reinforce his obvious fascination with the human figure and body, much like the art of the ancient Greeks. His mediums include charcoal and oil painting (Ahmad Zakii Anwar, n.d., para. 2).

References

Ahmad Zakii Anwar. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ahmadzakiianwar.arts.com.my/

Kolesnikov-Jessop, S. (2007, August 15). Ahmad Zakii Anwar: A Malaysian artist shuns a taboo to ‘distill the truth’. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/arts/15iht-zakii.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ahmad Zakii Anwar [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ahmadzakiianwar.arts.com.my/

Human Figure (part of the Being series, Early 2000s)

By Ahmad Zakii Anwar

Image of the charcoal sketch (Human Figure sketch picture, n.d.)

This is an art work in perhaps one of Zakii’s most prominent series’, the Being series, where he uses charcoal to accurately sketch out his representations of human figures. In majority of the artworks of this series, the faces are either blurred or completely turned away, such as the one above. Zakii involves the audience in the constant search for human identity by obscuring the figures’ faces, invoking a sense of frustration when trying out to rationalise the actual identities (Negotiations within the ‘Self’ and ‘Identity’, 2009).

References

Negotiations within the ‘self’ and ‘identity’. (2009). Retrieved from http://arteri.search-art.asia/2009/08/06/negotiations-within-the-%E2%80%98self%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98identity%E2%80%99/

Human Figure [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://artweek.la/upload/2654/ArtweekLA-3.jpg

Smoker (part of Smoker Series, Mid-1990s)

By Ahmad Zakii Anwar

Image of the art work. (Smoker painting picture, n.d.)

This is one of the art works in the renowned Smoker series of Ahmad Zakii Anwar, one of Malaysia’s most reputable contemporary artists. Many of Zakii’s art works explore the idea of identity, in both religious and practical context. In this series, he highlights the discrimination of smokers in society by having the smoke frequently ‘mask’ the subjects’ faces (Kolesnikov-Jessop, 2007, para. 16). There is a struggle for smokers in society to be accepted and Zakii’s paintings portray their lack of self-image when they bare themselves to the public.

References

Kolesnikov-Jessop, S. (2007, August 15). Ahmad Zakii Anwar: A Malaysian artist shuns taboo to ‘distill the truth’. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/arts/15iht-zakii.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Smoker [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5159709

Artist Profile: Chua Mia Tee (1931-Present)

Singaporean Artist

Image of Chua Mia Tee. (Chua Mia Tee picture, n.d.).

History

Chua Mia Tee was born in Shantou, Guangdong province, China in 1931 but he fled along with his family to Singapore in 1937 because of the Japanese invasion of their homeland. In 1947, he attended Chung Cheng High School but withdrew halfway to pursue formal arts education in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) (Pereira, n.d.). He taught in NAFA after his education and went on to succeed as an artist both traditionally and commercially.

Artistic Education & Influence

The National Library Board’s (NLB) Infopedia quotes that “[h]e received training in drawing, sketching with watercolour and painting, both with oils on canvas and with Chinese ink and colours on paper from NAFA director Lim Hak Tai and artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Koh Tong Leong and See Hiang To” (Omar, n.d.).  Chua is a realist painter and one of the most prominent in his field locally. His portfolio includes artowrks depicting the dying historical scenes and traditional infrastructure of the 1960s – 1980s period. One of his more well-known artworks would be National Language Class (1959).

Key Accomplishments & Exhibitions

1974

•  Became a full-time artist after success of first solo exhibition at the Rising Art Gallery

1979

•        Commissioned to make 36 sketches of Ministers and Members of Parliament during meetings. Also painted the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on his return from London after the "Merdeka Talks"

1980

•        Art Exhibition of Mr and Mrs Chua Mia Tee, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

1984

•              National Day painting on "The 25^th Year of Nation Building" appeared on the front page of The Straits Times

1988

•             Participated in the 50^th Painting Exhibition of R. Basoeki Abdullah R.A.N. in Jakarta, Indonesia

1990

•           Designed Singapore's new $50 to commemorate Singapores 25^th anniversary

1997

• Designed the One Million Dollars Commemorative Note, a souvenir note to mark the handover of Hong Kong to China

For more information about Chua’s accomplishments and history, please visit this the National Library’s Infopedia site: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1010_2008-07-30.html

References

Chua Mia Tee picture [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sagg.com.sg/page/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=693

Omar, M. (n.d.). Chua Mia Tee. Retrieved from http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1010_2008-07-30.html

Pereira, J.C. (n.d.). Chua Mia Tee: Painter of the common man. Retrieved from http://www.sagg.com.sg/page/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=693

Old Chinatown (1980)

By Chua Mia Tee

Image of painting (Old Chinatown, n.d). A sharper, larger version of the image is unavailable.

In this painting, Chua captures the scene of Chinatown of the past. Right now, most places in Singapore have been upgraded and historic locations have had modern elements infused into their surrounding environment, or even the buildings themselves. As a realistic painting, Old Chinatown reflects what is left as a memory. Chua’s brushstrokes and colours used are vibrant and has a vintage feel. Chinatown was the heart of Chinese culture back then and still is up till today, although it is slowly becoming more modernised with shops selling more commercial goods.

References

Old Chinatown [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.artnet.com/artists/chua+mia+tee/old-chinatown-onrrjjacWCn8T_ls4wSjIg2

Workers in the Canteen (1974)

By Chua Mia Tee

Image of the painting (Workers in the Canteen, n.d.)

The painting is one of the most discussed about out of all of Chua’s works. He captures the moment of workers during a break of their everyday work. The realist artist brings a renewed perspective to the audience of the present, as most people in modern Singapore would rarely chance upon such background scenes of society. The colours used are of darker tones and holds a sense of solemnity. The concept is simple, but the quality of realism in the painting is indeed high. Furthermore, Chua's painting invokes empathy and bares the unmistakable existence of social segregation in every society in the world.

References

Workers in a canteen painting [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHX_lpJ9datrOCRUr9vuXc3C_VaPrrza_-sl2hqdwcwalfosylF-ZpQLv1ivABL3eu3KR6j-i98LQmpl0kjUC0OSIVZDYACdaQemlHDjsOaFKOk-hcvj47926t0gQpjK5mVDivgx1K9Ws/s320/B2_Chua+Mia+Tee,Workers+in+a+Canteen,+1974,+Oil,+89x126cm.jpg

Artist Profile: Georgette Chen (1906-1993)

Singaporean Artist

The image of Georgette Chen (Georgette Chen, n.d.)

History of Artist

Georgette was born in Zhejiang, China in October 1906. She lived a comfortable adolescent life, travelling through out China, Paris and New York during that period of her growth. She attended art classes at the Art Students League in New York (1926-1927), and later in Paris she studied art at the Academie Colarossi and Academie Biloul. In 1930, she married her first husband, Eugene Chen Youren, the Chinese Foreign Minister. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1944 during the Japanese invasion. Georgette married a second husband Ho Yung Chi in 1949 but divorced by 1953 and moved over to Singapore within the same year (Creamer, n.d., para. 5). She became a teacher at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and taught visual art for almost 27 years (Introduction, 2005, para. 4). Up to date, she is one of the most respected pioneering artist and art teacher in Singapore.

Artist Style & Influence

Georgette was known to have been influenced by french artists like Jean Baptise Corot and Paul Cezanne (Creamer, n.d., para. 3), having had her art education there. Her paintings were often done with heavy and textured brushstrokes. Georgette's portfolio is classified into her different inspirations throughout her artistic career: Still life, Portraiture and Landscape (Introduction, 2005, para. 2).

Key Exhibitions

1937

• Paris World Fair, Paris
• Women Painters Exhibition, Paris

1940s

• Exhibitions in China

1949

• Salon d'Automne, Paris

1951

• Galerie La Licorne, Paris

1953

• Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

1954

• Singapore Art Society, Singapore

References

Introduction. (2005). Life and art of Georgette Chen. Retrieved from http://www.artoutreachprogram.org/images/pdfs/PORTFOLIOS/The%20Life%20&%20Art%20of%20Georgette%20Chen.pdf

Creamer, R. (n.d.). Georgette Chen. Retrieved from http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_698_2005-01-12.html

Still Life with Big Durian (1965)

By Georgette Chen

The image of the painting (Still Life with Big Durian painting picture, n.d.). 

This painting shows Georgette’s distinct Impressionism style infused with Asian elements, very obviously seen through the use of heavy brushstrokes, oriental reds and the choice of fruits depicted. The durian is the focal point in the picture with the green standing out from the background of paler colours. The mangosteens and rambutans give the impression of clutter, but add vibrance, to direct the audience’s eyes to the durian. The use of pleasant shades of colour give the painting a nostalgic and energetic feel.

Georgette masterfully expresses the simple joys of everyday living (Still Life with Big Durian, 2005) in Singapore through an accurate artistic representation of the local eating culture back in the 1960s. Back then, people did not demand much. The period of rapid industrial growth after independence made the locals focus on finding appreciation in the daily routines of life instead of the luxuries they dreamt of.

There is much to learn from this artwork. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”; Georgette definitely found beauty in the most common of things, especially fruits. You can check out other still life paintings by Georgette Chen here (auction and sale information): http://www.myarttracker.com/node/377936/artworks/by-artist/Georgette-Chen

References

Still Life with Big Durian. (2005). Life and art of Georgette Chen. Retrieved from http://www.artoutreachprogram.org/images/pdfs/PORTFOLIOS/The%20Life%20&%20Art%20of%20Georgette%20Chen.pdf

Still life with big durian picture [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://poppypeppers.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/img_1519.jpg