A Century of Art
Indonesia Tatler speaks to Rina Ciputra Sastrawinata about the upcoming exhibition of Dr (HC) Ir. Ciputra's private art collection
Celebrating 100 years of Hendra Gunawan, one of Indonesia’s most prominent modern art masters, Ciputra Artpreneur will showcase Dr (HC) Ir. Ciputra’s largest private collection to the public. Through this exhibition, Mr Ciputra’s collection will be a reflection of his contributors to Indonesia's art scene. The event will be open to public from August 5-16, 2018.What are the qualities in Hendra Gunawan’s paintings that attracted Mr Ciputra to buy them and make the work of arts by Hendra his main collection?
Hendra Gunawan’s paintings possess several qualities, which captivated Mr Ir. Ciputra over the years. Hendra was an artist imbued with a nationalist spirit, with Indonesia as his most treasured motherland. This quality of his is strongly reflected in his paintings through his portrayal of ordinary, hardworking Indonesians, always in activity. He portrays them as farmers, market stallholders, as mothers looking after children, as husbands and wives toiling in the fields together, people dancing or at play.
His passion for Indonesia is also seen in his landscape paintings, depicting the beauty and richness of the land. Mr Ciputra shares Hendra Gunawan’s deep love of Indonesia and because of this he strongly identifies with Hendra’s paintings. The activity, spontaneity, and energy depicted in Hendra’s works also resonate strongly with Mr Ciputra, who is a man who is always active and dynamic. He is constantly innovating to improve himself and to keep up with the times. The energy and bursts of colour in Hendra’s works capture this very spirit.
Tell us briefly how, when, and where the first encounter between Mr Ciputra and Hendra’s paintings happened
Mr Ciputra first encountered one of Hendra Gunawan’s paintings in 1962 at the home of his aunt. It was love at first sight. As an architect, Mr Ciputra had a keen eye for spatial design and design in general. Upon looking at Hendra’s painting, he realised that Hendra Gunawan had mastered composition, proportion, and the use of colour.
Among the bundle of artworks by Hendra in the collection of Mr Ciputra, please name three he likes best and the reasons behind this
Pangeran Diponegoro Terluka: This painting is a favourite because it depicts the spirit and strength of a warrior who is willing to go into battle and sacrifice himself in defence of his beloved land, Indonesia.
Another favourite painting is Arjuna Menyusui. This painting puts across humanist elements as it shows the hustle and bustle of preparations before a performance of wayang orang.
Pengorbanan Ibu is also a favourite because it tells the story of a group of mothers trying to flee the rain as they make their way to the market to sell their chickens.
Will there be another grand painting exhibition next year at Ciputra Artpreneur?
We are currently amid planning our exhibition programme for next year. There will certainly be some exciting new exhibitions in the pipeline, so stay tuned!