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Nurkholis and Toris Succeed in Japan
By Cynthia Webb,Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta
artist, Nurkholis has been informed this week, that he has won the
prestigious Asia Prize, in the international art competition run
by the art museum of Beppu City, Oita, Japan. The prize includes
a financial reward of one million yen. The painting will be retained
by the city as part of their collection. Two years ago he won the
Encouragement prize in the same event.
The Beppu Asia Biennale of Contemporary Art 2005 will open with an awards ceremony on January 28th 2005, at the art museum, and will be on show until 27th February, 2005. This was an open art competition, and there were 1,619 entries from 43 countries and regions. Sixty finalists including nine from Indonesia, were chosen for the final judging. Of those finalists, nine were from Indonesia, and seven of those were from Yogyakarta. This indicates that Yogya is still living up to its reputation as the arts capital of Indonesia.
Nurkholis
mentioned that he has been spending a lot of time at the Internet
Café these last couple of weeks, assisting the organiser of the
event Ms Michiko Takagawa, by translating and explaining the contents
of her email communications to the other Indonesian finalists, since
they were not competent in either English or Japanese languages.
Fortunately Nurkholis’ English was equal to the task.
The
Excellence Prize of two hundred thousand yen, was awarded to another
Yogyakarta resident, Made Toris Mahendra, of Sonosewu for his oil
painting on canvas (150 cm x 200 cm) entitled “Ancient Spirit”. This
work executed in black, red and white, (colours which are sacred in
several Indonesian cultures), expresses his exploration of the ancient
force, which pervades the entire world realm – shaping the harmonious
order and the process of continuation - birth, life and death.
Nurkholis and Made Toris Mahendra also receive free round trip air travel tickets to Beppu City and two days paid accommodation costs, to enable them to attend the awards ceremony/opening night of the exhibition as guests of honour.
Nurkholis’ major prize-winning work executed in oils, is entitled “PRESENT OF LIFE, PRESENT FOR LIFE”. The work consists of two panels 100 cm x 145 cm each, placed next to each other. The image is somewhat different from Nurkholis’ recent works of the last several years, which have been featuring his ‘trademark’ style of body impressions pressed into the wet painted canvas. This method, which he developed literally to a fine art, creates ethereal spirit figures, or some might say, images which look like x-rays.
The Asia Prize-winning work is entirely hand-painted by brush, demonstrating a return to his artistic period of the late nineties - very fine-textured, representational images. However the inspiration for this work is still linked to the “body-language” method. “The idea for the painting came from a photo of my model’s body. I took a photograph of her paint coloured body, during a painting/ body printing session, and now I have used it to paint that image onto two canvases by brush,” explained Nurkholis. Deep purple coloured paint was used to paint the breasts and midriff below the natural flesh-coloured shoulders, giving the appearance of the torso being clothed in purple colour.
Nurkholis’ art concept is an expression of his high regard for womanhood. He chose to use deep purple because it is the colour associated with royalty. “A woman is a Queen. From woman, life starts and from her, life continues. I have to always honour and appreciate woman”, explained Nurkholis.
The first panel represents the gift (or ‘present’) from life, of life itself. The second panel represents the second gift, - the continuation of that life. From the breasts of a woman, comes the milk of sustenance for new life.
The use of the word ‘present’ in the title of the work has a dual meaning. Woman is a present/gift from life (God), and also life will always be present (continuing) while womanhood is respected and valued in the way that Nurkholis describes.
Nurkholis and his artist wife, Hety Nurani who is also a graduate of the Indonesia Art Institute (I.S.I.) in Yogyakarta, have three children, Alham Agung Nursakti aged 11, Anggaratu Sufi aged 10 and Diwani Prabarani aged 8 years. Alham and Diwani are both showing promising artistic ability.
In a sense, Nurkholis’ prize-winning painting tells the story of his own family life, as well as the story of the larger family of Humanity. His own beloved family came to him from his union with a woman, and continues with that woman as its source and its centre.
Nurkholis and Hety Nurani have held regular “couple” exhibitions, the first time was in 1997, then 1998, and last one in 2002 at the Tembi gallery, near Yogyakarta. He stated that they are very happy as the prize money from this latest success in Japan, because it will enable them to continue with the tradition next year
Email Cynthia: lorokidul3@yahoo.com