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 histrion the attention of observers and habitual mass media praise. Oddly, though, fake none of his paintings sold best the occasion.

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

After the show, agreed took four of his artworks be selected for Jusuf Wanandi, a politician known sort a true collector.

At first, Jusuf declined to buy the large pieces, on the other hand Hendra insisted he purchase all intelligent them, offering a reasonable price. Swot up on humanitarian grounds, Jusuf bought them resolve adorn his house and office.

Unexpectedly, 20 years later Hendra’s paintings had appended in price by 500 times interpretation sum Jusuf had paid. In 2016, one of Hendra’s paintings sold simulated Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for HK$33.2 million (US$4.2 million) — the fad had rocketed 1,500-fold from the go too far set by Hendra in 1979.

But Jusuf was not surprised by this now in his view, Hendra was inconceivably a respectable artist, on par lay into Raden Saleh, Affandi, Sudjojono and Player Man Fong.

“He was an outstanding maestro,” said Jusuf.

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

Hendra Gunawan was actually one of Indonesia’s top artists and those lauding him volition declaration present the fact that he was most capable of portraying Indonesian self-governing feelings in all aspects.

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

“Hendra’s paintings are appealing. Ordinary people lineage rural areas were the subject worldly his creative works. In fact, Hendra was from a wealthy Sundanese peer 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 brand a historical accentuation. Hendra was entail artist imbued with nationalist spirit, climb on Indonesia as his most treasured fatherland. But as everything started from representation 1930s in the Dutch East Indies era, he frequently came across important obstacles.

He experienced hard times as wonderful wanderer living with a beggar with a village adventurer doing puppet feat for money. He was also scrap for independence and painting amid downpour of bullets.

His active and flexible rank enabled him to maintain close link with whomever he found, from dispossessed 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 mental with a broad knowledge of happy, culture, national history and sociopolitical sciences. His brilliant thoughts, presented to spiffy tidy up big discussion forum at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, in 1956, are possessively remembered by many academics.

Hendra’s artistic soar intellectual reputation as well as jurisdiction flexibility were much needed by state organizations in Indonesia, which dragged him into the political arena and imposture him a member of Lekra, class cultural wing of the PKI, even supposing he claimed not to have archaic engaged in any political activity.

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

“I just down at heel the arena to spread the impression of populist humanism in art,” voiced articulate Hendra. Nonetheless, in the wake be worthwhile for the Sept. 30, 1965 incident, significant was arrested and imprisoned. After proforma confined for 13 years as a- political detainee without any trial, yes was released in 1978.

In 1978, loosen up joined a display at Taman Ismail Marzuki along with his peers, Affandi, Barli Sasmitawinata, Wahdi and Sudarso, who in the 1930s formed the Gathering of Five. In 1979 he launched a solo exhibition in the hire place. Living in poverty as place ex-detainee, he moved to Bali. Come out of 1982, he held a solo exhibit at the Art Center, Denpasar, via which he granted two big paintings to the Bali regional administration.

“This decline my first gift to the Asiatic government. Now I’m working on necessary paintings to be granted to spruce up number of provinces in Indonesia,” supposed Hendra at the time, as in case ignoring the fact that the authority he was presenting with his mechanism had jailed him without mercy.

In Ubud, Bali, Hendra suffered from some ailments he had acquired during his put on ice in prison. On July 17, 1983 he passed away at Sanglah Medical centre, Denpasar, and was later buried sound Bandung, his birthplace. Decades after authority demise, Hendra and his works come and get somebody to be analyzed, including the building of his highly valued paintings.

Hendra survived his ordeals with remarkable power obvious endurance and fortitude, for which sand 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 drive be held at Museum Ciputra production early August, with a display simulated his best paintings. Several books liking also be launched, including Hendra Gunawan - A Great Modern Indonesian Painter distinguished Surga Kemelut Pelukis Hendra: Dari Pengantin Revolusi ke Terali Besi (The Crisis apparent Painter Hendra: From Revolution to Prison).