Reverberation Exhibition

Project Manager
Artistic Director
Curator
Text

Reverberation – From Past to the Present
 
ISA Art & Design presents “Reverberation” From the Past to the Present, featuring key paintings from Hendra Gunawan’s oeuvre as the starting point for 18 contemporary artists to respond to his work. The theme was to challenge artists to look back at Hendra Gunawan’s artwork while reflecting on intergenerational artistic expressions and issues surrounding Indonesia today. These artists include Adi Sundoro, Argya Dhyaksa, Condro Priyoaji, Erik Rifky, Ferial Afif, Galih Adika, Hadassah Emmerich, Haiza Putti, Luh Gede, Maharani Mancanagara, Puri Fidhini, Sillyndris, Sinta Tantra, Talitha Maranila, Vienasty, Widwar, Yogie Ginanjar, and Yosefa Aulia.
In art history, contemporary artists have often looked to the works of past maestro's to understand if they are creating a new dialogue in art. This is an important aspect of how we view contemporary art. Hendra Gunawan (1918-1983) was one of the earliest examples of contemporary Indonesian art through his exaggerated figures and bold use of colors, which was a sharp departure from the "Moie Indies" and the dogmatic themes in Indonesian art. His works portray the "real life" of Indonesia through the painted depictions of the fishermen on the beach, the revolutionary period, and the mother and child.
Hendra was a founding member of Pelukis Rakjat, a painters organization that was later deemed to have communist leanings. Hendra was jailed and persecuted for his art as his paintings were usually a commentary on social issues of the marginalized parts of Indonesian society. However, Hendra elevated the life of his subjects through the selection of bright and often garish colors. The lines are spontaneous and strong, reflecting the honest expression of the artist. The image of perseverance is visualized in the figures, often incorporating flat and wide hands to show the hardworking character and the spirit of their lives. He imagines them with humor, conversations, and commerce while celebrating the humanity that resides in Indonesian everyday life.
The historian Doctor Anhar Gonggong stated that art is a manifestation of the collective memory of the wider community where works of art can be one of the mediums for society to describe the era in which they live. In his view, art does not always have to be serious; but should be able to show honestly the artist’s attitude towards the surrounding environment.


In this exhibition, young artists reflect on the spirit that drives Indonesia's development in Hendra Gunawan's works through new art issues and media. The topics raised by the artists in this exhibition have various expressions that bring new freshness, not only in their artistic elements but also in their appreciation in rebuilding the spirit of development through their works. Each artist finds and creates artistic expressions from narratives of changes that occur over time.
Hendra Gunawan has a mix of styles that feel traditional and modern, yet it is difficult to determine the style or combination that he uses. What makes it possible is the mapping of color, visual, and theme developments that occur in his work. During the Revolution (1940-1950), when he became a prisoner at the Kebon Waru prison, his artwork depictions tended to be dominated by earth colors (brown, red, sienna, etc.) and had a dark and dramatic nuance, as in Portrait of a Soldier (1950). There was a color change that occurred within the artworks after he was released in 1978 that contrasted during his time spent as a prisoner. The intensity of the color saturation of Hendra's work began to increase and produce brighter colors as seen in Fish Market on The Beach.