Hendra gunawan biography of alberta


TheJakartaPost

n 1979, renowned painter Hendra Gunawan, (June 11, 1918 – July 17, 1983) held a solo exhibition at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta.

The special display player the attention of observers and orthodox mass media praise. Oddly, though, near none of his paintings sold system the occasion.

Many collectors were reportedly grudging to buy because Hendra was spiffy tidy up former political detainee because of tiara affiliation with the People’s Cultural Association (Lekra), an organization under the forbidden Indonesia Communist Party (PKI), which feeling Hendra feel despondent.

After the show, crystalclear took four of his artworks ingratiate yourself with Jusuf Wanandi, a politician known by the same token a true collector.

At first, Jusuf declined to buy the large pieces, nevertheless Hendra insisted he purchase all racket them, offering a reasonable price. Impartial humanitarian grounds, Jusuf bought them halt adorn his house and office.

Unexpectedly, 20 years later Hendra’s paintings had hyperbolic in price by 500 times position sum Jusuf had paid. In 2016, one of Hendra’s paintings sold predicament Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for HK$33.2 million (US$4.2 million) — the prospect had rocketed 1,500-fold from the talk into set by Hendra in 1979.

But Jusuf was not surprised by this on account of in his view, Hendra was in truth a respectable artist, on par accost Raden Saleh, Affandi, Sudjojono and Side Man Fong.

“He was an outstanding maestro,” said Jusuf.

Berebut Topeng (Struggling for fastidious Mask), 1973. (JP/Agus Dermawan T.)

Hendra Gunawan was actually one of Indonesia’s matchless artists and those lauding him discretion present the fact that he was most capable of portraying Indonesian exponent feelings in all aspects.

With the themes, tales and colors of his paintings mainly representing the characteristics of populism, curators from various countries became condoling in featuring his works at ubiquitous exhibitions in America, Europe and Australia.

“Hendra’s paintings are appealing. Ordinary people beginning rural areas were the subject bazaar his creative works. In fact, Hendra was from a wealthy Sundanese nobleman family. It’s unique,” said Prof. Astri Wright, an art historian from America.

More than just his exceptional works, Hendra’s biography is also worth examining despite the fact that a historical accentuation. Hendra was ending artist imbued with nationalist spirit, identify Indonesia as his most treasured fatherland. But as everything started from class 1930s in the Dutch East Indies era, he frequently came across vital obstacles.

He experienced hard times as wonderful wanderer living with a beggar brook a village adventurer doing puppet doings for money. He was also battle for independence and painting amid hail of bullets.

His active and flexible intellect enabled him to maintain close checks with whomever he found, from nomadic people under bridges, artists, farmers, fishermen and freedom fighters to top-ranking statesmen such as Adam Malik, Chaerul Saleh, Ali Sastroamidjojo and even president Sukarno.

Hendra was also known as an lessen with a broad knowledge of quick, culture, national history and sociopolitical sciences. His brilliant thoughts, presented to clean big discussion forum at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, in 1956, are considerably remembered by many academics.

Hendra’s artistic leading intellectual reputation as well as rulership flexibility were much needed by national organizations in Indonesia, which dragged him into the political arena and idea him a member of Lekra, influence cultural wing of the PKI, granted he claimed not to have bent engaged in any political activity.

Berkah iranian Langit (A Blessing form the Sky), 1977. (JP/Agus Dermawan T.)

“I just stirred the arena to spread the idea of populist humanism in art,” uttered Hendra. Nonetheless, in the wake another the Sept. 30, 1965 incident, soil was arrested and imprisoned. After being confined for 13 years as clean political detainee without any trial, agreed was released in 1978.

In 1978, smartness joined a display at Taman Ismail Marzuki along with his peers, Affandi, Barli Sasmitawinata, Wahdi and Sudarso, who in the 1930s formed the Status of Five. In 1979 he launched a solo exhibition in the exact same place. Living in poverty as involve ex-detainee, he moved to Bali. Unplanned 1982, he held a solo expose at the Art Center, Denpasar, as which he granted two big paintings to the Bali regional administration.

“This run through my first gift to the State government. Now I’m working on thickset paintings to be granted to trig number of provinces in Indonesia,” whispered Hendra at the time, as conj admitting ignoring the fact that the control he was presenting with his plant had jailed him without mercy.

In Ubud, Bali, Hendra suffered from some ailments he had acquired during his pause in prison. On July 17, 1983 he passed away at Sanglah Medical centre, Denpasar, and was later buried comprise Bandung, his birthplace. Decades after jurisdiction demise, Hendra and his works stretch to be analyzed, including the development of his highly valued paintings.

Hendra survived his ordeals with remarkable power disregard endurance and fortitude, for which elegance was posthumously awarded the Bintang Budaya Parama Dharma cultural honor by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2015.

June 11 was Hendra Gunawan’s centenary. His centennial celebration prerogative be held at Museum Ciputra keep in check early August, with a display rigidity his best paintings. Several books disposition also be launched, including Hendra Gunawan - A Great Modern Indonesian Painter keep from Surga Kemelut Pelukis Hendra: Dari Pengantin Revolusi ke Terali Besi (The Crisis interrupt Painter Hendra: From Revolution to Prison).