Art Stage Jakarta 2016

Nashar, Rusli, Zaini

Rusli / Pasar 2 / oil on canvas / 60 x 45 cm / 1968

Art Stage Jakarta 5 - 7 August 2016 Zaini / Tertidur / ink on canvas / 33 x 36 cm / 1974

Zaini / Terlelap / ink on canvas / 33 x 36cm / 1974

Zaini was born in Pariaman, West Sumatera, 17 March 1926.

After graduted from elementary school, Zaini studied in INS Kayutanam under the chair of Moh. Syafei and got his early learning on painting from Wakidi, a painter in Minangkabau.

helped the establishment of SD foundation association and commited himself to an art gallery in Kebayoran Baru owned by the association. Meanwhile, Zaini also worked as an illustrator.

Zaini was studied in Jakarta during Japanese occupation and learnt about painting from S. Sudjojono in Keimin Bunka Shidoso. In 1943, with Kusnadi, he studied academical painting technic from Basuki Abdullah. In 1935, he moved to Yogyakarta and affiliated in Seniman Masyarakat established

by Affandi. Zaini then affiliated in Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM) in 1946. In 1949, he went back to Jakarta and joined Gabungan Pelukis Indonesia (GPI) also Masyarakat Seniman Jakarta Raya. Since 1958, he taught in Balai Budaya Jakarta and Badan Musyarawah Kebudayaan Nasional (BMKN).

In 1958, with Trisno Sumardjo and Oesman Effendi, he

Zaini participated in many prominent exhibitions in Indonesia and overseas, such as the third Sao Paulo Biennale, in Brazil (1953); an exhibition in Netherland (1954); exhibitions India (1958, 1963, 1971); printmaking Biennale in Ljubjana, Yugoslavia (1963) also exhibitions in Jakarta (1952-1973)). Zaini became a member of Jakarta Arts Council since 1972. He participated in Indonesian Painting exhibition in America to celebrate 25 years of United Nations establishment. Zaini got medal and charted from Department of Education, Pedagogy, and Culture in 1972.

Zaini died in Jakarta, 25 September 1977.

Rusli / Odalan 1 / water color on paper / 35 x 27 cm / 1979

Rusli / Odalan 2 / water color on paper / 35 x 27 cm / 1979

Rusli was born in Medan, 1916, he is a half-bred of Minang (his father) and Javanese (his mother). Rusli continued his study in MULO school, Yogyakarta, then in Taman Siswa Yogyakarta. After that, he continued in Kala Bhavana Faculty, Art Department, Santiniketan University of Rabindaranath Tagore, India. During 5 years (1932-1939) he studied painting, sculpture, and east art philosophy. Coming back from India, Rusli became a drawing teacher in Taman Siswa, Yogyakarta for 10 years. Rusli became a member of Seniman Masyarakat. When S. Sudjojono and some of SIM association members moved to Surakarta, he served as SIM Yogyakarta chairman between 1947-1948. Rusli became the head of art department in army education department of Indonesian Ministry of Defense. Around the year of 1951, Rusli became a lecturer in Indonesian Arts Academy, Yogyakarta.

In 1953-1956, Rusli got an opportunity for visiting some countries in West Europe, including Netherland for an invitation from Sticusa, a cultural institution of the Dutch in Indonesia which is now known as Erasmus Huis. In 1960, he was trusted to become a Vice Chairman of International of Plastic Art (IAPA) Unesco in Indonesia. Then in 1970, he was chosen as a lifetime member of Jakarta Academy serving as the advisor in arts or culture for Jakarta governor. Later, Rusli also got some national awards from Indonesian government and from universities in Yogyakarta. Rusli died in Jakarta, 11 May 2005.

Rusli (IDN)

Zaini (IDN)

Zaini / Termenung / crayon on paper / 52 x 36 cm / 1960

Venue: Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City, Level 3 Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, Kebayoran, Jakarta, 12240, Indonesia

Bios are written by consulting sources below: http://archive.ivaa-online.org/ Big Village Exhibition Catalogue, Visual Art Committee, Jakarta Arts Council, Jakarta, November, 2012

Presented by

Zaini / Self Portrait / oil on canvas / 46 x 55 cm / 1969

Zaini / Untitled / oil on canvas / 47 x 63 cm / 1965

Zaini / Perahu / oil on canvas / 60 x 85 cm / 1970

Rusli / Pemangku Pura / oil on canvas / 60 x 75 cm / 1971

Rusli / Pantai / oil on canvas / 60 x 75 cm / 1977

Rusli / Barong / oil on canvas / 60 x 75 cm / 1967

Jl. Barito I No.3, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta, 12130, +62-21-739 9378 dgalleriejakarta@gmail.com www.dgalleriejakarta.net

Nashar / Komposisi / oil on canvas / 70 x 95 cm / 1978

Nashar (IDN)

Nashar, Rusli, Zaini and Inner Soul A small scale exhibition which is presenting some paintings and drawings from Nashar, Rusli, and Zaini. They come from West Sumatera and inherit Minang blood. They experienced Indonesian Pre Independence times also affilliated with artist studios accomodating artists’ aspiration on nation in the times of Indonesian independence struggle.

Towards and at the moment of their art activities in Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Jakarta, they had a spesific art practices, differentiating themselves from realism tradition spearheaded by S. Sudjojono in Yogyakarta and abtract formalism tradition in Bandung.

Examining from a more general perspective, in 1960’s to 1970’s as mentioned by Sanento Yuliman (Indonesian New Painting, 1976) Indonesian arts was entering its Third Period, which was marked with the arise of abstract painting. Although these paintings do not present the form of the object or figure, these abstract painting stiill have

a relation with visual experience which is familiar in nature and environment, both in the context of natural realm and in the context of having contact with human civilization realm. In other words, these abstract paintings always relate with our visual experience when perceiving realm and its matter.

Some Bandung, Jakarta, and Yogyakarta based artists practiced the abstract painting with their arts education and their socio-cultural sphere as its background.

With the exception of Rusli, Nashar, and Zaini who did not get formal education on arts. With Oesman Effendi, three of them studied painting in studio or autodidact so they did not experience a formal-academic arts education. The aesthetic experience as they worked was determined and examined on the means of personal experience when perceiving the fascination of nature. Nashar had been stated his aesthetic credo as follows: NonAesthetic, Non-Technic, and Non PreConception telling his unwillingness to be unconfined by limitation in working as he chose to believe in intuitive, independent, and personal creation.

The works of Nashar, Rusli, and Zaini in this exhibition presents their attention to experience on objects like scenery (beach, market, temple, and mountains/hills) and on figure (self-potrait and body gestures).

There are also abstract fantasy paintings depicting forms or biomorphic lines.

Their paintings and drawings accentuate contrast and harmony in the color field

also, the variation of curved lines, white and transparent fields, and textured color fields presenting lyrical and meditative quality. Seeing the group of those visual elements in their paintings, we also can feel the quality of solitude and the shiver of the soul.

These three artists –who can be stated as the representation of “Jakarta Circle” in 1960’s-1970’s at a glance—created paintings which usually being considered as showing “kesan dalam” (inner soul).

Kesan Dalam itself is the title of exhibition that Nashar and Oesman Effendi (OE) became the participants. OE used to state one thing that can be considered as the character of this aesthetic practice, “If a painter crave, believe to increase his life or life values that continously shaping

Nashar / Sketsa Pemandangan / ink on paper / 26 x 36 cm / 1974

Nashar / Sketsa Pemandangan / ink on paper / 26 x 36 cm / 1974

his soul, the power of eyes, significant elements in selecting life values will also develop automatically. It means that eyes, in this case, become the link of eyes of the heart.”

Nashar was born in Pariaman, West Sumatera, 3 October 1928. He grew up in Jakarta, and quited school at junior high school time. He affiliated in Tentara Barisan Sukarela (voluntary millitary establihed by Japanese) for a while. In 1944, he started to paint as S. Sudjojono’s student in Keimin Bunka Sidhoso, Jakarta. In 1946—1948, Nashar became a member of Seniman Indonesia (SMI) and went along with SMI members when they moved to Solo, Madiun, to Yogyakarta. In 1949, Nashar went back to Jakarta and became a member of Gabungan Pelukis Indonesia (GPI).

From that statement, it can be interpreted that these four artists, although presenting pure abstract tendency by naked eyes or not, precisely present the representation of reality inside the soul that cannot be read only as the representation of outside reality through their works. Besides that, their works are not only the output of visual vocabulary permutation ending in artistic beauty. This aesthetic practice is not yet being comprehensively read in Indonesian art history.

This exhibition also shows archives related to the inner soul art character which present through exhibition publication especially those held in TIM around 1960’s-1970’s. It is also present through publications discussing about the artists’ working tendency at that time.

Nashar / Kasih Ibu / oil on canvas / 70 x 72 cm / 1964

Chabib Duta Hapsoro

In Jakarta, besides working as a painter, Nashar often worked as an illustrator for Mimbar Indonesia, a weekly magazine under H.B. Jassin’s upbringing also for other media such as Seni, Indonesia, Budaya, Zenith, and Horison.

Nashar held his solo exhibitions regularly and participated in group exhibitions since 1956. In 1970-1972, he became a lecturer in Jakarta Arts Institute Association (LPJK) which is later renamed as Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ). In 1973-1976 Nashar became a member of Jakarta Arts Council. Then he became a lecturer again in IKJ around 1979-1991. Nashar became Jakarta Arts Council daily administrator in 1981-1984.

Nashar died in Jakarta, 13 April 1994. He is a painter writing a lot about his tought reflection and idea on many things around him and telling about his social biography in detail, as written in his book, “Surat-Surat Malam” (Night Letters).

Nashar was known as a painter with three-non principle: non-pre conception, non aesthetic, and non-technic.