ASIAN CONTEMPORARY A RT
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LARASATI - GLERUM
Amsterdam, Monday, 2 June 2008
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Asian Contemporary Art
LARASATI - GLERUM
Amsterdam, Monday, 2 June 2008 Insights • Connections • Expertise
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Cover: Tommy Wondra, Inbalance (2008), acrylics on canvas, 160 x 140 cm Saftari, Natural Room I (2008), acrylic on canvas, 180 x 140 cm Astari, Drunken Bag (2008), painted copper, 102 x 65 x 38 cm Ugy Sugiarto, Mystery (2007), oil on canvas, 200 x 150 cm
ISBN 978-979-3774-16-9 Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Larasati, Amsterdam Fine Art Auction, Amsterdam 2 June 2008 Singapore: Larasati Muse Investments Pte. Ltd., 2008 pp. 24 x 27 cm includes index and biographies of artists I. Paintings - Southeast Asia - Indonesia. II. Painters - Indonesia. III. Title
Copyright Š 2008 Larasati Muse Investments Pte. Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Larasati.
Important Notice: This catalog is produced in conjunction with the sale of modern and contemporary art organized by GLERUM AMSTERDAM AUCTIONEERS in close co-operation with LARASATI AUCTIONEERS. THIS CATALOG IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MAIN CATALOG.
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Asian Contemporary Art Auction
Monday 2 June 2008 afternoon sale
Viewing
Friday - Sunday 30 May - 1 June 2008 10 am - 5 pm
Venue
Amsterdam Auctioneers Glerum Hall Lekstraat 63 1079 EM
The sale will be conducted in Dutch/English. Bidding is carried out in Euro (EUR). Please note that all US Dollar estimates are for reference only. USD 1 = EUR 0.65 All sales are subject to the conditions printed in the main catalog and the buyer’s attention is drawn to this information.
LARASATI
Correspondence address: Amsterdam: Singapore: Indonesia: Lekstraat 63, Thong Teck Building # 03 - 02.1, Jl. Pasuruan No. 9, Menteng - Jakarta Pusat 1079 EM 15 Scotts Road, Singapore 228218 Jakarta 10310 - Indonesia t. +31 20 301 29 50 t. +65 6737 2130 t. +62-21 315 8636, 315 6110, +62-855 101 5778 f. +31 20 301 29 60 f. +65 6737 1859 f. +62-21 3989 9533 e. info@glerum.nl e. larasati@singnet.com.sg e. info@larasati.com www.larasati.com
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Content: The exotic, the derivative and the other: Asian art?
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Asian Contemporary Art at LARASATI - GLERUM
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Bidder Registration Form
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Saleroom and Offices
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“The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them.” - John Berger “The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them.” - John Berger “The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them.” - John Berger “The strange 8
The exotic, the derivative and the other: Asian art? Relatively unknown, Asia is often associated with the mysterious. Her being the world’s largest and most populated continent notwithstanding. Of extensive landmass, spectacular biodiversity and multifarious ethnic composition, her definition and boundaries are controversial. Even in the most common usage of her term which excludes the Middle East and Russia to designate only the regions of East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, her diversity confounds. This summer of 2008, while the world meets in the fastest-growing nation of Asia for the Olympics, Larasati introduces 22 contemporary voices from eight countries on the other side of the globe: India, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Identity, society and the metaphysical are some of the recurrent themes explored by the artists showcased. Their subject matter is a far cry from Asia’s first encounters with Western art at the turn of the nineteenth century. From Sutjipto Adi’s mindscapes to Pande Ketut Taman’s satires, there is nothing that recalls erstwhile Walter Spies’ visions of Bali or Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Meprès’ gardens laced with bare-bosomed native women. While artists like Antipas Delotavo from the Philippines prefer to focus on issues at home, others like Jung In Wan from South Korea look beyond the specific to address universal moral dilemmas. In China, the Luo Brothers question the tricky cohabitation between traditional culture and rampant consumerism masquerading as modernisation. From Malaysia, Chang Fee Ming addresses the brutality of a political repression in Myanmar which sparked international attention last year; Ayu Arista Murti and Teng Nee Chong tend to their utopia peopled by the idealised or fantastic. The artists’ concerns vary and their points of view diverge. Nevertheless, each artist demonstrates individuality and purpose. There is little that is merely exotic or mysterious. The thematic repertoire of Asian artists today reflects the awareness of their being part of the larger world; they are no longer contained within a village, city or nation inside Asia. This spirit of crossing boundaries is similarly reflected in the processes of their art-making. Going beyond their predecessors’ initial experimentations with Western art both academic and avant-garde, the likes of Singaporean artist Hong Sek Chern are even savvier in their assimilation of international idioms. From foreign art forms alongside indigenous ones, they select the most appropriate elements to develop their œuvre. The result is works which bring together techniques, media, styles, motifs and representational modes adapted from various artistic traditions, as exemplified in the works of Astari Rasjid from Indonesia. Much as the preferred medium of most artists – watercolour, oil or acrylic on canvas – is unquestionably Western, the works are not derivative in essence. Dang Xuan Hoa, for example, employs oil on canvas and paints in a style reminiscent of Expressionism in pursuit of principles central to Vietnamese aesthetics. Given that Asian artists matured in political and cultural climates distant to those in the West, their new voices challenge conventions of perception, not to mention Western art historical constructs. A fuller appreciation of Asian art thus calls for transits between local and Western perspectives. The etymology of Asia is commonly accepted to be of Greek origin . It is through one’s own lenses that the other is perceived. It is also with regard to the other that the self is defined. Just as the Occident’s identity is enhanced by way of contrast to the Orient, the authenticity of Asian art shines forth by way of comparison and differentiation. These 22 works show divide, as well as present shared perspectives in our age of globalisation. Instead of just the exotic, the derivative, and the other, there is more to see in Asian art, more to be said. -YK Insights • Connections • Expertise
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Asian Contemporary Art
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Ahmad Zakii Anwar (b. Southern Malaysian state of Johor, 1955)
Seated Figure 6
2007
acrylic on linen
99 x 187 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “‘07” Estimate: € 9,000 - 11,700
Profile: Better known as Zakii- has emerged as one of the most exciting, engaging and eloquent ‘urban realist’ artists in the region. Trained as a graphic designer at the School of Art and Design, MARA Institute of Technology, after which he went into advertisement work, producing some of the leading advertising graphics of his time before turning to fine art practice. His creative advertising images then led him on to fine art, where he now enjoy much prominence as one of Malaysia’s most promising contemporary artist. Since 1975, Zakii has exhibited extensively throughout Asia, with his One Man Show in 1977.
Singular in his exploitation of human figuration within the context of Muslim Malaysia, Ahmad Zakii Anwar (b.1955) is one of the country’s most important contemporary artists. A fascination with the human figure since childhood led him to express urban tensions – from the psychological states induced to the subjacent metaphysical dimensions – through sophisticated mise en scènes of the human figure, as can be seen in Seated Figure No. 6. His œuvre reflects persistent enquiries into issues of universal concern, rendered eloquent thanks to his technical virtuosity as well as versatility. -YK
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Antipas Delotavo (b. Iloilo City, The Philippines, 1954)
Easterly Winds oil on canvas
152.5 x 122 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “AD. Delotavo 2008” Estimate: € 4,500 - 5,500
Profile: Antipas Delotavo studied at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City and majored in Fine Arts at the Philippine Women’s University College of Fine Arts and Music in Manila. Part of the Kaisahan group of painters who are also known as Social Realists, he has been part of numerous shows, exhibiting both here and abroad. Some of these exhibits include Critic’s Choice in 1979; Travelling Exhibit of Concerned Artists of the Philippines in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide in 1984; The 14th Asian International Art Exhibition in Fuokoka Asian Art Museum, Fuokoka, Japan in 1999; and Identities versus Globalization at the Chiang Mai Museum in Thailand in 2003. In 1990, his achievement in the visual arts was recognized with the conferment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award and he was also selected to paint the official portrait of then Philippine President Corazon Aquino. He has been mentioned in numerous publications such as A Century of Realism in Philippine Art and Protest/Revolutionary in the Philippines: 1970-1990.
In the 1970s, Antipas Delotavo (b. 1954) rose to prominence with works that decry the political turmoil under Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law. He remains a foremost representative of Philippine Social Realist art with continued interest in the plight of those neglected by the country’s pursuit of economic progress. A significant artist of the contemporary scene, Delovato’s painting today questions institutionalized values and behaviour. His idiom is characterised by great resourcefulness in the referencing of diverse visual traditions – from Japanese ukiyo-e to photography. -YK
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Astari
(b. Jakarta, Indonesia, 1953)
Drunken Bag
painted copper
2008
102 x 65 x 38 cm
signed, dated, and numbered :”Astari 08, 2/6) Estimate: € 3,000 - 4,000
Profile: She studied fashion design in London, before switching to painting in Minnesota, USA and at Royal College of Art in London. She has been a member of the Jakarta Art Foundation and lecturer at the Jakarta Art Institute, Faculty of Fine Art. She is an active painter and has exhibited in Singapore, USA and Indonesia.
A female artist of international prominence born in Jakarta, Astari Rasjid (b. 1953) is known for her sardonic take on political, cultural, social and gender issues in Indonesia. Her training on both sides of the Atlantic gained her much familiarity with Occidental imagery, and provided her the distance necessary to critique her Javanese roots with lucidity. In Drunken Bag, Astari contrasts icons of traditional Indonesia with those of the West – a Kelly bag, a beer can and a traditional Indonesian puppet – to articulate an experience unique to metropolitan Indonesia. -YK
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Ayu Arista Murti (b. Surabaya, Indonesia, 1979)
Three Brothers & Dragon Flies mixed media on canvas
2008
120 x 100 cm
signed (lower left): “Ayu, Ina 2008, ‘Three Brothers and Dragon Flies’ “; verso: “Ayu Arusta Murti, th. 2008, ‘Three Brothers and Dragon Flies’, Pastel, Pensil warna, akrilik di atas kanvas, Indonesia”. Estimate: € 2,000 - 3,000
Profile: She graduated from Faculty of Fine arts and Design Indonesia Institute of Arts (ISI) Yo5gyakarta. Ayu has held her solo exhibition at Edwin’s Gallery Jakarta, in 2005. She also actively participated in numerous selected group exhibitions in several cities in Indonesia, China and Thailand. She received The Best Encounter of Two Millennial Country Peru-Indonesia, embassy of Peru, Jakarta in 1996. Other awards received include the Best water color and sketch from ISI, Yogyakarta in 2000; Total Indonsia Award from YSRI and Total Company in 2001; Best Artwork, Dies Natalis ISI, Yogyakarta in 2002; and Top 5 Phillip Morris Indonesian Art Awards by Phillip Morris Company and YSRI in 2003.
An up-and-coming artist with international exposure, Ayu Arista Murti (b. 1979) from Indonesia was trained in Yogyakarta at the Indonesian Institute of the
Art. Three Brothers & Dragonflies is exemplary of her signature style which consists of whimsical creatures featured in imaginary settings; the narrative is recounted
using mixed media. The playful humour of her work is exemplary of the new directions adopted by Indonesia’s young artists today. -YK
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Bunga Jeruk Permata Pekerti (b. Solo, C. Java, Indonesia, 1972)
Golden Buddha oil on canvas
2008
140 x 140 cm
signed (lower right): “Bunga 2008” Estimate: € 3,500 - 4,500
Profile: She graduated from ISI / Indonesian Institute of the Arts in 1996. She has had solo exhibitions in Solo, Yogyakarta and Singapore, and has participated in group exhibitions in Indonesia, Australia, Japan, The Netherlands, Russia and Germany.
Trained at the Indonesian Institute of the Art which is of historical importance, Bunga Jeruk Permata Pekerti (b.1972) won international acclaim with her distinctive style of brightly coloured compositions disposed with poetic candidness and spontaneity. Her deliberately naïve expressions which are reminiscent of a child’s imagination and folk art extend beyond painting to include sculpture and installation. -YK
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Chang Fee Ming (b. Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, 1959)
September 27th
watercolor on paper
2007
56 x 76 cm
verso: “Chang Fee Ming, September 27th, Water color on paper, 2007”, signed again “F. M. Chang 2007” Estimate: € 11,000 - 16,000
Profile: Self-taught artist who has had solo exhibitions in Malaysia and Indonesia, and has also participated in various group exhibitions in Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, USA, Canada, Singapore, Sweden, Japan and Belgium. Fee Ming has won many art awards in Malaysia and USA.
A self-taught watercolorist from Malaysia, Chang Fee Ming (b. 1959) has exhibited worldwide. His work captures the peoples of the Southeast Asian region at work and at rest, letting the lower half of their bodies and the garments tell their stories. In Chang’s tradition of narrative paintings, September 27th marks the artist’s response to the Saffron Revolution which brought Myanmar back to international attention in September 2007. To convey the brutality of its suppression, Chang mounted this painting of a figure displaying the monastic robe between two plexi-glass which bears bullet holes fired by the artist himself. -YK
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Chong Siew Ying (b. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1969)
The Flowers oil on canvas
2007
150 x 150 cm
signed and dated (lower left): “Siew Ying 2007”; verso: “Siew Ying Chong, 2007, K. L.” Estimate: € 5,500 - 7,500
“For some time I’ve wanted to adapt the spiritual and artistic conception or the “YiJing” of classical Chinese ink painting to my work. I made a series of drawings of local Malaysian landscape, flora and fauna in 2005 with this idea in mind, and this has since developed into paintings which bring together elements of landscape and flora and the human face. In my previous work, I’ve explored the expressive and emotional range of the human face in relating the human condition. These earlier paintings seek to capture its tensions and ambiguities, its urgency. Here, the paintings slowly evolve into fiction. I’ve created each face as a fictional character….inviting the viewer to read a story, a secret. These paintings draw on my understanding of my classical Chinese cultural heritage, in the context of contemporary ideals of beauty. I also want to create in these paintings a state of mind of quiet contemplation, not enclosed in a defined space or time, both intimate and universal.” - Chong Siew Ying
Profile : After studying at a local art college, she left Malaysia and enrolled at L’Ecole des BeauxArts in Versailles, France in 1991. Then she continued study at International Printmaking Centre Atelier 63 in Paris and became a teacher there, while working as an artist and exhibiting in the city. She returned to Malaysia in 1998, holding her first solo exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. She was artist-in-residence at Rimbun Dahan in 1999 and at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2001. Her career has spanned a large number of solo and group exhibitions in Malaysia, as well as across Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA.
Born in Malaysia and trained in France, Chong Siew Ying (b. 1969) works between the two countries. Her lyrical expressions of universal themes like nature and life have been exhibited in Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA. The Flowers is one of a collection of works exploring the emotive potential of the human face set in monochrome against a backdrop of Malaysian flora or landscape. In Chong’s own words, it reflects her perception of classical Chinese aesthetics within the context of contemporary ideals of beauty, a vision both intimate and universal. -YK
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Dang Xuan Hoa (b. Nam Dinh, Vietnam, 1959)
My Family
oil on canvas
2007
153.5 x 67 cm
signed and dated (lower left): “Hoa 2007” Estimate: € 4,000 - 5,000
“Everything around us is imbued with a certain sense of art. The artist has to look, see, understand, and capture it through his own special lens. I do not want to paint what I see; I want to paint what I understand, for I want to capture life not just by itself but also its relationship to the world around it, with my own insight and aesthetics.” - Dang Xuan Hoa
Profile: He is one of Hanoi’s Gang of Five (together with Tran Luong, Ha Tri Hieu, Pham Quang Vinh and Viet Dung), a group of young Vietnamese artists who share a common expressionistic-abstractionist orientation combined with traditional humanistic ideas, that has been exhibiting regularly since its formation in the mid eighties, and they were one of the first Vietnamese Artists invited to exhibit in America in the ‘90s. He graduated from the Hanoi Fine Arts College and was taught by artists, Nguyen Gia Tri and Tran Luu Huu. In his works, many classic motifs are used to create a new way of expression, the density of images, the flat color plane combine for an immediacy and directness that marks Vietnamese modern paintings. He has had one man shows in Hanoi in 1997, New York, Boston, and Massachussets in 1994. Hoa works are widely collected internationally.
Dang Xuan Hoa (b. 1959) was one of the first Vietnamese artists to gain international recognition in the early 1990s, following Vietnam’s implementation of free-market reforms (Doi Moi) in 1986. He was one of Hanoi’s Gang of Five who espoused Western expressionist-cum-abstract forms as early as the 1980s. Despite his stylistic departure from traditional Vietnamese art, Dang always insisted, “I paint not what I see, but what lies beneath what I see,” suggesting that the disregard for naturalistic representation was not plainly in imitation of twentieth-century Western styles of painting but had roots in Vietnamese aesthetic ideals of transcending material representation. As such, My Family is an investigation into the personalities of Dang’s family members and how they relate to each other. -YK
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Gusmen Heriadi (b. Pariaman, W. Sumatera, Indonesia, 1974)
Shower acrylic on canvas
2008 120 x 100 cm
signed and dared (lower right): “06.03.08”; verso: “Judul: Mandi, Bahan: acrylic on kanvas, ukuran: 120 x 100 cm. th. 2008”, signed. Estimate: € 3,200 - 4,200
Profile: He graduated from Indonesia Institute of Art (ISI) Yogyakarta. He held his solo exhibition “Problema Masyarakat Kota” at ISI Yogyakarta in 2005. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions, among which were Sanggar Sakato, Galeri langgeng, Magelang (2003); Drawing, Sanggar Dewata Indonesia, Yogyakarta (2003); Interpelation, C.P. Open Bienalle, Gallery Nasional, Jakarta (2003); Affandi Prize, Galeri ISI, Yogyakarta (2003); Menimbang Tradisi, Sanggar Sakato, Galeri Nasional, Jakarta Lustrum ISI, Galeri ISI Yogyakarta (2004); Indonesian Contemporary, iPreciation, Singapore (2005); Nuansa Eksotika, Balikpapan (2006); Episodes, Gusmen Heriadi & Tommy Wondra, Edwin’s Gallery, Jakarta (2007).
Another up-and-coming artist trained at the historical Indonesian Institute of the Art, Yogyakarta, Gusmen Heriadi (b. 1974) draws inspiration from urban encounters: the dreams and deceptions he witnesses on a daily basis. Shower positions the viewer betwixt and between reality and reverie. This visual poetry of Heriadi which encapsulates the ironies of life in contemporary Indonesia has received acclaim both within the archipelago and abroad. -YK
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Hong Sek Chern (b. Singapore, 1967)
On Borrowed Skies II ink on paper
2008
126 x 90 cm
Estimate: € 2,000 - 2,600
“Instead of the traditional mountains, trees and waters that typically go into a traditional Chinese ink painting, here mountains are replaced by buildings such as Citibank building in Hong Kong. Various buildings of banks from places such as Shanghai were composited to other architectural structures such as overhead bridges and interiors of tube stations. This landscape was conceived based on what was observed in cities such as Manila, Newcastle to Sao Paolo. As the city expands and engulfs what can remain of natural landscape it simultaneously has to work with concepts of past ad present with economics and sole criteria for any push for change. Eventually the notion of a modern city might evolve into a mega monstrosity where various structures are made to co-exist.” - Hong Sek Chern
Profile: She obtained Bachelor of Science from National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1989. In 1990, graduated from Institute of Education, Singapore, and obtained her Diploma in Education. She studied Fine Art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and graduated in 1995 with Diploma in fine Art. Then she continued for a master degree in Fine Arts at Goldsmiths College, University of London (under the Chen Chong Swee Overseas Art Scholarship) and graduated in 1998. In 2004 she obtained MA in South East Asian Studies from National University of Singapore. She has participated in numerous selected group exhibitions in Singapore, London, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hanoi and Brazil, including 11th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibit 2003 / ROC at Taipei Fine Art Museum in 2003; 25th Sao Paolo Biennial, Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2002; and 15th Asian International Arts Exhibition, Tainan Country Cultural Afairs, Bureau (ROC) in 2000. She has received numerous awards, including 1st Prize (Representational Category); 18th Painting of the Year Competition by the United Overseas Bank Group in 1997; 1st Prize (Representational Category), Expression in Art by Singapore Telecoms in 1995; Top Prize, Philippe Charriol Foundation Contemporary Art Competition 1995/6 in 1996; Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council, Singapore in 1999; UOB Painting of the Year, 26th UOB Painting of the Year Award by UOB Group (Singapore) in 2007.
From Singapore, the art of Hong Sek Chern (1967-) is situated at the crossroads of the Chinese ink tradition and modern Western thought. Her work can be interpreted in the lineage of the city-state’s first generation of artists who sought to develop a regional style of the South Seas (Nanyang) through the marriage of Eastern and Western art. Her work has earned her many prestigious awards and Hong is now a full-time artist. In On Borrowed Skies II, the mountains of classical Chinese painting are replaced by a composite cityscape of skyscrapers. In the artist’s own words, this painting speaks of the megacities across the globe which have engulfed nature: a warning of a modern city’s subsequent evolution into “a mega monstrosity.” -YK
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Jung In-Wan
(b. Tongyoung, Kyoungnam, Korea, 1964)
Model Mannequin (6 works) oil on canvas
2008
18 x 25 cm; 17 x 24 cm; 18 x 24.5 cm; 20 x 25 cm; 20 x 24.5 cm; 19.5 x 24 cm
each signed and dated on reserve: “Model Manequin - In-Wan Jung 2008” Estimate: € 4,000 - 5,000
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Profile: Jung studied at Hansung University and obtained B.F.A in Painting in 1989. From 1998-2003 he studied at Studium der Freien Kunsst an der Kunsthochschule in Uni Kassel, then he continued study there for master degree from 2002 - 2003. He has had several solo exhibitions in Korea and Germany. Jung has participated in numerous selected group exhibitions, including Seoul Identity Art and culture (SIAC), COEX in 2006; ColorbrainBrazil, Argentina Cultural exchange exhibition, Gallery Olido, Sao Paulo, Ansan Colorbrain Yeonbyun china Artist exhibition. Yeonbyun, China in 2004; Kurt Haug and seine Meisterschler. Inter Art Gallery Reich, Koln IKON - Enchanting face, Kunststation Kleinsassen, Hofbieber-Kleinsassen, Germany in 2003; Korea Art society exhibition, Fine Art Center, Seoul Walkers exhibition, Gallery Dukwon, Seoul in 1996; Budapest Art Expo, Studio Nytral Zsuzsanna Budapest, Ungarn in 1995. His works collected by Feuerwehr Kassel, 2002 and many private collectors as well.
The work of Korean artist Jung In-Wan (b. 1963) revolves around representations of the modern woman in contemporary society. Technically seamless, they belie a message darker than the blanched cheeks of pretty dolls and mannequins: Model-Mannequin is a suer against the human exploitation of nature. In the artist’s own words, they are manufactured imitations of nature, but not nature. As metaphors of human interventions disrupting the rhythm of nature, Jung’s mannequins convey a poignant commentary on our world of clones, bar-codes, plastic surgery, engineered crops, etc. Jung’s work is particularly sought after in Korea and Germany. -YK
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Luo Brothers
Luo Weidong (b. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 1962), Luo Weiguo (b. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 1963) and Luo Weibing (b. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 1972)
Welcome World’s Famous Brand lacquer
39 x 46 cm
verso: signed Estimate: € 6,000 - 7,000
Profile: The Luo Brothers, Luo Weidong, Luo Weiguo, and Luo Weibing, graduated from art academies. They began their art careers in Beijing in the 1990s and remain proponents of the Chinese style of “Gaudy Art”.. The Luo Brothers now mostly exhibit overseas and have received critical acclaim in france, Switzerland, and Australia.. Solo exhibitions have been held in the Beijing Historical Museum in 1998, Switzerland in 1999, Hong Kong in 2001, and Paris in 2002. They have also received exhibition invitations from the Sao Palo International Art Biennale in 1998, the Basel Art Exposition in 2001, and the Catier foundation in 2001.
Leading exponents of Chinese political pop art, the Luo Brothers – Luo Weidong (b. 1963), Luo Weiguo (b. 1964) and Luo Weibing (b. 1972) – created Welcome the World’s Famous Brand in response to the paradoxes of a new China with unprecedented market liberalization. A concoction of traditional and international pop imagery here expresses the dizzying exuberance of contemporary China: cherubic babies on carps and other auspicious symbols from Chinese folk imagery now endorse products from the West like hamburgers and Coca Cola. Acidulous hues are combined with bold colours characteristic of folk art; craft techniques like lacquer are applied alongside new media like computer graphics. This critical and provocative art of the Luo Brothers’ has gained international iconic status. They have been invited to exhibit worldwide, and their works are in some of the world’s most prestigious private and public collections: the Sigg Collection and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, for example. -YK
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Pande Ketut Taman (b. Peliatan, Bali, Indonesia, 1970)
Red Nose acrylic on canvas
2007
145 x 80 cm
signed (lower right): “Pande K. Taman, Bali ‘07”; verso: “Pande K. Taman, Red Nose” Estimate: € 3,000 - 4,000
Profile: Graduated from ISI / Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta in 1998. He has held solo exhibitions in Bali, Jakarta and Singapore and has participated in various group exhibitions in Switzerland, Germany and throughout Indonesia in Jakarta, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Bali, Surabaya and Solo. Taman received Best Painting Award, at the Dies Natalis ISI Yogyakarta in 1998; and Lempad Prize awarded by Sanggar Dewata Indonesia in 2000. He also creates sculptures and installations.
Hailing from Bali, Pande Ketut Taman (b. 1970) first received an education in art at home under the tutelage of his family of artists. He was subsequently at the Indonesian Institute of the Art in Yogyakarta where he became active in the artist community. His work has been rewarded with numerous awards, including the Lempad Prize in 2000, and can be found in collections in Asia, Europe, Australia and the USA. His stylistic versatility is noteworthy and his activity extends beyond painting to include sculpture and installation. Red Nose can be interpreted alongside his tongue-in-cheek Sentimentil series featuring portraits of pigs – a taboo animal in Muslim Indonesia. -YK
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Park Sun-Ki (b. Sun San, S. Korea, 1966)
Beetle 22070105 charcoal, plaster, ink, etc.
2008
70 x 33 x 30 cm
signed on the base Estimate: € 9,000 - 11,000
Profile: A student of the Chung Ang University, Seoul and Accademia in Belle Arti Brera, Milan, majoring in sculpture. Park Sun’s works have been widely exhibited in international fairs since 2000, including International art fair ARCO’25, edicao da Feira Internacional de Arte Contemporanea de Madrid acolhe, Gallery Jorge Shirley, Madrid Spain, Seoul Art Fair, International Contemporary Art Fair, Gallery Lawrence Rubin, Bologne, International Art Fair, Lille France, International Art Fair, Lisbon Portugal, International Contemporary Art Fair, Milan Italy. Park Sun has also been represented in many major National and International exhibitions in Korea, Portugal, Germany, Spain, Italia, Busan, USA and Israel. His talent is recognized by the public.
A compelling sculptor from Korea, Park Sun Ki (b. 1966) has a medium of predilection: charcoal. Whether with sculptures small like Beetle 22070105 or installations more than 28 metres in length, Park meditates on the sculptural potential and tactile qualities of this material. An object of desire both past and present, the Volkswagen Beetle is here stripped of its status symbol to become a work of art whose sole raison d’être is its form and modelling. -YK
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Pintor Sirait (b. Germany, 1962)
Temptation stainless steel
2008
240 x 188 x 12 cm
each signed and dated: “Pintor Sirait 08” Estimate: € 9,500 - 12,000
Profile : He is one of Indonesia’s famous sculptors who has held solo exhibitions in his home country and the USA where he had lived and worked for a long time. He has also participated in various international collective exhibitions such as The Busan Biennale 2004, Paris Art Fair 2005, Beijing Art Fair and many important others. He has also been commissioned by many prominent institutions such as The Deutsche Bank, Indonesian Central Bank, Medco Group, Novotel Nusa Dua, Bali, Saint Mary’s Church Jakarta, Indonesia, and collaborated on the Mural wall for Changi Airport, Singapore. Pintor received the Public Award from the French Government at the 6th Symposium d’Arts Plastiques in France (1994).
Born in Germany, Pintor Sirait (b. 1962) is now based in Indonesia after years of living in France and the USA. His sculptural language is international in both form and subject matter: icons of contemporary pop culture are refashioned in steel and juxtaposed to create new meanings. Based on the mass media’s stereotyped representations of man and woman, Sirait explores the forces of attraction and restraint in Temptation. In its sculptural conception, Temptation reflects the artist’s characteristic play between the two- and three-dimensional. The appeal of Sirait’s work is universal and his sculptures are sought by private collectors and institutions worldwide. -YK
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Saftari
(b. Payakumbuh, Sumatra, Indonesia, 1971)
Natural Room I acrylic on canvas
2007
180 x 140 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “Saftari ‘07”; verso: “Natural Room I”, 180 x 140 cm akrilik di kanvas, 2007, Saftari”. Estimate: € 7,000 - 9,000
Profile: He studied at ISI / Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta. He has participated in group exhibitions in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. He won Best Water colour Painting award from Institute Seni Indonesia, Yogyakarta in 1996.
A young artist from Indonesia, Saftari (b. 1971) explores the interaction between urban life and what remains of nature: twigs, leaves and stones. In Natural Room I, the artist employs trompe-l’œil and the juxtaposition of man-made objects with nature painted to evoke suspense – a sensation intensified by the squarely placed red chair. -YK
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Sutjipto Adi Tjitrosampoerno (b. Jember, E. Java, Indonesia, 1957)
Reincarnation (A Long Walk to Freedom) pencil and oil on canvas
2008
95 x 125 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “2008”; verso: “Reincarnation 2008 (Long Walk to Freedom), 95 x 125 cm, pencil and oil on canvas”, signed. Estimate: € 5,000 - 7,000
Profile: Studied at STSRI “ASRI” / Indonesian College of Fine Arts, Yogyakarta from 1977-1981. He has had solo exhibitions in Surabaya, Jakarta, Bali and Singapore, and has participated in group exhibitions in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan.
The art of Sutjipto Adi (b. 1957) from Indonesia is often described as surrealist as well as photo-realist due to its apparently free association of figures, objects and shapes, as well as its technical precision. Much as Adi is considered one of the leading representatives of this style alongside artists like Ivan Sagito and Chusin Setiadikara, he prefers to regard his works simply as reflections of his “quest for meaning in the perfection of human life.” This metaphysical yearning is pursued through extensive visual referencing, drawing on diverse sources: current affairs, political history, religion, etc. In Reincarnation (A Long Walk to Freedom), the mystery and wonder of human life is evoked through the apposition of the Dalai Lama – a highly revered Buddhist personage –with the representation of an infant. Geometric shapes emblematic of the Divine Proportion visually and symbolically unify the two figures and spheres. As in all of works, a meditative quality reigns. -YK
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Teng Nee Cheong (b. Singapore, 1951)
Equator’s Poetry Made Eternal oil on canvas
2008
116 x 116 cm
signed and dated (lower middle): “Ne Cheong ‘08” Estimate: € 8,000 - 11,000
“In this composition, the two figures are from one model, are used for my life-drawing in my studio. The scenery and colors are to evoke the various experiences I encountered from my travels and wanderings among the ruined glories of ancient empires all over Southeast Asia, from India to Myanmar, Indonesia to Kampuchea, ecetera, Hence the title ‘Equator’s Poetry Made Eternal’” - Teng Nee Cheong
Profile: A practicing professional full-time artist for more than 30 years, he works with the human figure, central in all his paintings, experimenting and fine tuning in ways to express his innermost feelings. Nee Cheong works in Bali and Singapore, and travels around Southeast Asia and India. He has had three one-man exhibitions and won the ‘Jurors’ Choice’ in the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards, 1993, 1995, 1996. His paintings are also in the Neka Museum in Bali and private collection.
An artist from Singapore, Teng Nee Cheong (b. 1951) is known for his lyrical compositions of the human figure within interiors. He is the recipient of many awards and his work has been shown and collected worldwide. In Equator’s Poetry Made Eternal, Teng transports two figures derived from a single studio model to a realm furnished with memories of the artist’s sojourns throughout Asia’s historical ruins. The vibrant palette is typical of Teng’s œuvre. -YK
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Tommy Wondra (b. Padang, W. Sumatra, Indonesia, 1980)
Yearning for Answer 3 (no. 9) “Imbalance” acrylic on canvas
2008
160 x 140 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “Tomy Wondra 08” Estimate: € 3,500 - 4,500
Profile: He is one of the new generation of up and coming young artists. Wondra studied at the Indonesia College of the Arts, Yogyakarta and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Yogyakarta, Bandung and Bali. He was a nomination in the Phillip Morris Indonesian Art Awards in Jakarta in 1998. Tommy influenced and inspired by fellow Sumatra artist Handiwirman Saputra.
Two words sum up the work of up-and-coming Indonesian artist Tommy Wondra (b. 1980): textural poetry. Through the meticulous description of commonplace items – pebbles, paper and thread – and the art of trompe-l’œil, Wondra constructs contemplative spaces within the two-dimensional frame of a painting. The grain of paper is contrasted with the texture of stone, while thread and scribblings that imitate written script create visual rhythm. Typical of Wondra’s works, Yearning for Answer 3 (no. 9) “Imbalance” emanates a sensation of distilled silence. -YK
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Ugy Sugiarto
(b. Wonosobo, C. Java, Indonesia, 1969)
Mystery
oil on canvas
2007
200 x 145 cm
signed and dated (lower right): “Ugy 07” Estimate: € 5,000 - 6,000
Profile: Started from 1999, Ugy Sugiarto has participated in several group exhibitions in Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Jakarta, some of the exhibitions are group exhibition Nominasi “The Thousand Mistery of Borobudur” at Jogja Gallery, in Yogyakarta in 2007; Group exhibition “Wonosobo Dalam Kenangan” at Gedung Bhayangkari Mabes POLRI Jakarta in 2007; and group exhibition 100 Tahun Afandi, in Yogyyakarta in 2007. He received award from UNESCCO as Nomination in “the Thousand Mistery of Borobudur” Fine Art Competition, in 2007.
With humour and introspection, Ugy Sugiarto (b. 1969) from Indonesia explores varied states of mind through mise en scènes. Specific props are used as metaphors. The plastic sheet in Mystery, for example, is a leitmotif symbolising the lack of freedom, as can be seen in another recent work titled I Want to Break Free. Here, Sugiarto invites the viewer to ponder over the comedy of a half-naked man trapped under a plastic sheet triumphantly propping up a pot of plant, as if a trophy. Along with Sugiarto’s compositional talents, his technical virtuosity is undeniable. -YK
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Yashwant Desmukh (b. Akoka, Maharashtra, India, 1963)
Pile 8 acrylic on canvas
2008
100 x 134 cm
verso: “Yaswant Desmukh, PILE-8’ 08” Estimate: € 6,000 - 7,000
Profile: Yashwant Deshmukh attained his BFA from Sir. J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1988. He has been awarded with Bendre-Husain Scholarship, Mumbai in 1993, Sixth Bharat Bhavan Indian Contemporary Art Biennial’s Grand Prize, Bhopal in 1996. From 1985-1988 received several awards while at Sir. J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, such as Kumari Ratan Wadke Awards, Shirgaonkar Awards, Mayo Awards, Maharshtra State Art Awards, and Handicapped Welfare Federation Awards, New Delhi. Solo exhibitions have been held at Gallery Jean Cocteau, Mumbai in 1996, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1997, ‘Nazar’-a Gallery of Contemporary Art, Baroda in 1997, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 2003. He have also received exhibition invitations from ‘the Miniature format show,’ Group show of paintings and sculptures sponsored by SANS TACE Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1996 and 1998, ‘Monsoon in the Millennium’ an exhibition of water colours, sponsord by SANS TACHE Art Gallery, Mumbai, “IIFA Art Show”, presented by Tao Art Gallery along with the International Institute of Fine Arts, on CNBC Channel, Mumbai in 2003, Charity Art Auction organized by “Save The Children” at Jehangir Art Galllery, Mumbai in 2003. He has also actively participated in many other selected exhibitions.
Yashwant Desmukh (b. 1963) from India seeks the essence of simple images from daily life: a hill, a kite, a pot, a cup, etc. Yet, his works do not repose upon this world of mundane pursuits; they are philosophical and poetic. Defying its simplistic appearance, a painting like Pile 8 involves much reflection on the compatibility of the filled and the void, not forgetting the complementary relationships between colours. Desmukh’s research on formal relationships is gaining increased appreciation both in India and abroad. He continues to work from Mumbai (Bombay). -YK
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Yi Hwan Kwon (b. Seoul, Korea, 1974)
The Banker
fibre reinforced plastic
2001
h. 50 cm
signed and numbered on the base: “19/20” Estimate: € 1,800 - 2,500
Profile: He graduated with B.F.A. from the Department of Environmental Sculpture of Kyungwon University in 2001 and 2004 respectively. Yi has participated in numerous notable group exhibitions throughout Korea, including Narrative Sculpture-Mirror of Everyday Life at the Busan Metropolitan Art Museum in 2002, Psychodrama at the Sungkok Art Museum in 2003 and Portfolio 2005 at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2005. Yi also received numerous awards for his work, including the Superior prize at the 10th Korean Figurative Scupture Exhibition in 1999 and at the World Ceramic Expo 2001 Sculpture Park Exhibition.
The recipient of numerous prestigious awards in Korea, the sculpture of Yi Hwan Kwon (b. 1974) is singular in its warping of objects and human figures, as if residents of a virtual world inside distorted mirrors. The authenticity of these figures caught in the act of mundane activities is realised by the viewer’s attempt at reconstructing the image through close inspection. Through the optical distortion of scenarios drawn from daily life, Yi induces the alienation of urban life and along with it, a melancholic poetry. -YK
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LARASATI - GLERUM ISBN 978-979-3774-16-9