SINGAPORE - The Singapore Art Museum is proud to partner Credit Suisse to launch “Affandi: A Painter of Genius”, as the inaugural exhibition of the ‘Tradition to Innovate’ series of programmes presented by Credit Suisse. On January 1952, the TIME magazine article proclaimed Affandi as a “painter of genius” despite “never taken a formal art lesson in his life” to audiences in Europe and America who have never heard of this artist.
The writer who proclaimed Affandi as “a painter of genius” was non other than John Berger, a radical proponent of the social history of art, and influential art critic who wrote for the New Statesman.
Born in 1907, Affandi was a transnational artist who had travelled to countries such as India, America, England, Belgium, France, Italy and Sweden. In 1953, Affandi was the first Indonesian artist invited to participate at the Second Sao Paolo Biennial, the second oldest Biennial after the Venice Biennial. Subsequently, Affandi participated at the 1954 Venice Biennial to great acclaim by critics such as Carlo Barbieri and Alexander Eliot, the head critic for Time magazine. Through such affirmative reviews, we can conclude that Affandi was received positively and held in high regard by art worlds outside Indonesia.
“The face of my father is still giving me the spirit to live,” said Ibu Kartika, who has been painting a series of 100 portraits of him. “I first learnt to paint as a child, watching him and working with him. I began in 1957 with a brush, but this separation from the canvas by a tool didn’t suit me, and I soon gave it up and worked straight from the tube and with my hands.”
To commemorate the centennial birth year of Affandi (1907-1990), Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is proud to organise a tribute exhibition of the late master painter to celebrate the prolific career of this renowned Indonesian artist.
This exhibition showcases 20 of Affandi’s paintings that offers a broad representation of Affandi’s artistic practice. Many of these artworks have never been shown, especially in Singapore. Prices for Southeast Asian modern and contemporary artworks have increased rapidly over recent years. At September’s Sotheby’s auction, Affandi’s Ayam Putih was expected to fetch up to $180, 000, it went for $384, 000. This year, Sotheby’s achieved a new record level for their modern and contemporary Southeast Asian paintings.
Says Mr Kwok Kian Chow, “Affandi is a towering figure in the history of modern art in Indonesia. His art can be described as an emotional expression of his feelings towards humanity based on his own observations when Indonesia was under colonial rule and his own travels abroad. The lives and plight of the common people is a recurring theme in his paintings, focusing on their simplicity and strength of will to overcome and break out of poverty.”
Says Mr Kwok, “The Singapore Art Museum has presented a series of solo exhibitions on Singapore and Southeast Asian artists such as Chen Wen Hsi and Widayat. Affandi: A Painter of Genius continues the Museum’s research on Southeast Asian art by working with collectors and scholars in this region. In doing so, the Singapore Art Museum provides a conduit for curators, artists and collectors to further scholarship on Southeast Asian art. In this regard, we are happy to partner Credit Suisse in presenting Affandi: A Painter of Genius as the first of the ‘Tradition To Innovate’ series of programmes that will be presented at the Singapore Art Museum over the next three years.”
1907 Boerhanoedin Affandi Koesoema was born in Jatitujuh, Indramayu (then administratively a part of Cirebon), West Java, in 1907. The exact date and month of his birth are however not known.
1990 Affandi passed away in Yogyakarta on May 23rd, 1990, at 15.30, local time. Two wives, four children, nine grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren released him in peace. An exhibition to commemorate Affandi opened at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., USA. Affandi Self-Portrait SAM Collection
Self Portrait exemplifies Affandi’s approach to his artistic practice and philosophy. By using his hands instead of paint brushes to manipulate the oil paints directly onto the canvas, he injects the spontaneity of his human spirit into his own self-portrait in an emotional expressionistic style. For Affandi, he felt that the elimination of the painting brush in favour of his hands better conveys the complexity and depth of humanity. His use of strong colours like red, yellow and green in bold and expressive strokes confronts the viewer and asserts the individuality of Affandi as a modern Indonesian artist.
About Singapore Art Museum
Opened in January 1996, the mission of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is to preserve and present the art histories and contemporary art practices of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. To date, SAM has amassed the world’s largest public collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks with a growing component in international contemporary art. The museum has presented shows covering both local and international art practices, traditional and cutting edge art expressions. Through strategic alliances with international arts and cultural institutions, SAM has been facilitating visual arts education, exchange, research and development within the region and internationally. Through forging collaborative partnerships and staging innovative programmes to engage different audiences, SAM aims to contribute to an enlarged role in the regional visual arts community and Asian art museology, as well as facilitating developments in art as well as the art sector in Singapore. For more information, visit www.singart.com
Born in 1907, Affandi was a transnational artist who had travelled to countries such as India, America, England, Belgium, France, Italy and Sweden. In 1953, Affandi was the first Indonesian artist invited to participate at the Second Sao Paolo Biennial, the second oldest Biennial after the Venice Biennial. Subsequently, Affandi participated at the 1954 Venice Biennial to great acclaim by critics such as Carlo Barbieri and Alexander Eliot, the head critic for Time magazine. Through such affirmative reviews, we can conclude that Affandi was received positively and held in high regard by art worlds outside Indonesia.
“The face of my father is still giving me the spirit to live,” said Ibu Kartika, who has been painting a series of 100 portraits of him. “I first learnt to paint as a child, watching him and working with him. I began in 1957 with a brush, but this separation from the canvas by a tool didn’t suit me, and I soon gave it up and worked straight from the tube and with my hands.”
To commemorate the centennial birth year of Affandi (1907-1990), Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is proud to organise a tribute exhibition of the late master painter to celebrate the prolific career of this renowned Indonesian artist.
This exhibition showcases 20 of Affandi’s paintings that offers a broad representation of Affandi’s artistic practice. Many of these artworks have never been shown, especially in Singapore. Prices for Southeast Asian modern and contemporary artworks have increased rapidly over recent years. At September’s Sotheby’s auction, Affandi’s Ayam Putih was expected to fetch up to $180, 000, it went for $384, 000. This year, Sotheby’s achieved a new record level for their modern and contemporary Southeast Asian paintings.
Says Mr Kwok Kian Chow, “Affandi is a towering figure in the history of modern art in Indonesia. His art can be described as an emotional expression of his feelings towards humanity based on his own observations when Indonesia was under colonial rule and his own travels abroad. The lives and plight of the common people is a recurring theme in his paintings, focusing on their simplicity and strength of will to overcome and break out of poverty.”
Says Mr Kwok, “The Singapore Art Museum has presented a series of solo exhibitions on Singapore and Southeast Asian artists such as Chen Wen Hsi and Widayat. Affandi: A Painter of Genius continues the Museum’s research on Southeast Asian art by working with collectors and scholars in this region. In doing so, the Singapore Art Museum provides a conduit for curators, artists and collectors to further scholarship on Southeast Asian art. In this regard, we are happy to partner Credit Suisse in presenting Affandi: A Painter of Genius as the first of the ‘Tradition To Innovate’ series of programmes that will be presented at the Singapore Art Museum over the next three years.”
1907 Boerhanoedin Affandi Koesoema was born in Jatitujuh, Indramayu (then administratively a part of Cirebon), West Java, in 1907. The exact date and month of his birth are however not known.
1990 Affandi passed away in Yogyakarta on May 23rd, 1990, at 15.30, local time. Two wives, four children, nine grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren released him in peace. An exhibition to commemorate Affandi opened at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., USA. Affandi Self-Portrait SAM Collection
Self Portrait exemplifies Affandi’s approach to his artistic practice and philosophy. By using his hands instead of paint brushes to manipulate the oil paints directly onto the canvas, he injects the spontaneity of his human spirit into his own self-portrait in an emotional expressionistic style. For Affandi, he felt that the elimination of the painting brush in favour of his hands better conveys the complexity and depth of humanity. His use of strong colours like red, yellow and green in bold and expressive strokes confronts the viewer and asserts the individuality of Affandi as a modern Indonesian artist.
About Singapore Art Museum
Opened in January 1996, the mission of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is to preserve and present the art histories and contemporary art practices of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. To date, SAM has amassed the world’s largest public collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks with a growing component in international contemporary art. The museum has presented shows covering both local and international art practices, traditional and cutting edge art expressions. Through strategic alliances with international arts and cultural institutions, SAM has been facilitating visual arts education, exchange, research and development within the region and internationally. Through forging collaborative partnerships and staging innovative programmes to engage different audiences, SAM aims to contribute to an enlarged role in the regional visual arts community and Asian art museology, as well as facilitating developments in art as well as the art sector in Singapore. For more information, visit www.singart.com
"1907 Boerhanoedin Affandi Koesoema was born in Jatitujuh, Indramayu (then administratively a part of Cirebon), West Java, in 1907."
Source : http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Affandi_Boerhanoedin_Affandi_Koesoema.html
Putra Daerah yang Terlupakan : Affandi
Reviewed by Suheri
on
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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Reviewed by Suheri
on
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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