Home | Vol 9 Table of Contents | Previous Issues | Contact Us: 07 55278753 / 0405463663 | Email: judybyronbay@yahoo.com

Nurkholis and Hety Nurani

Article by Cynthia Webb

I have spent some wonderful times together with this artist couple who live at Madu-Kismo. The first time, Nurkholis came to collect me on his vintage BSA motor bike with side car, (one of a collection of five). However, when I saw the open side-car my courage deserted me, and we ended up taking a taxi. Gathered at their spacious studio-home were several other artist friends of Nurkholis. Hety served coffee and we nibbled peanuts, talked about art and had good times. I was looking forward to seeing the new work of Hety, who although she has three young children, has taken up painting again. She too is a graduate of ISI and last year I had encouraged her to try to commence painting again, now the children are a bit older and Nurkholis has had considerable success. I didn't want her to feel "left behind". We women must stick together! I also had a talk with Nurkholis about the importance of this and to his credit, he understood and is strongly encouraging Hety's career. Hety's work is vibrantly coloured, with flowing lines in the drawing and the subjects are all about "womens' experience". It is very personal and evocative of sisterhood.

The owner of ONE GALLERY in Jakarta, Mr Joannes has invited them to hold a "Family" Exhibition, because the children are all budding artists too. Hety proudly showed me a bundle of the drawings and paintings of the children and there is no doubt the talent is continuing in the next generation. Their ages are, 8 yrs, 7 yrs for the 2 boys, and their daughter is 6 years old.

During the last twelve months, since Nurkholis' exhibition at Dirix Gallery, which revealed to the art world his new "period" - the Body Language works, he has had an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur at the Art Case Gallery. It was entitled "Rhythm of the Soul". Art Case Gallery is a rather personal sort of place, attached to a private home and was thought to be a good place to "test the water" in the conservative Malaysian society. Nurkholis' work created quite a sensation in Indonesia, and Malaysia is even more a sheltered society. There was an invitation only guest list on opening night. Before about one hundred guests Nurkholis did a demonstration of his method, (wearing a swimming briefs). He said he was "a living installation". This was combined with dancing and Javanese gamelan music. Nurkholis says he uses music at home when making the paintings, as it is good for stimulating his artistic emotion and inspiration. He likes Kitaro, Western classica music, Javanese traditional music, and sometimes rock music.

He also showed a video of the painting process, in which he appears naked and also creating a painting in love embrace with his wife. Please bear in mind readers, I have seen this video and it is in no way pornographic nor inappropriate in any way. It is filmed in low light and from a discreet distance, but it certainly serves to adequately show how the works are created and is extremely interesting to observe. Journalists who were invited to Art Case Gallery for the opening, reported favourably and during the following month a steady stream of members of the public came to see the works. Some wanted to see the video they had read about in the newspaper, however the answer was no. This was reserved strictly for the invited artlovers on opening night, just to be on the safe side. The magazine "Night and Day" called the works "very daring and controversial".

Another critic said "No one in Malaysia makes this crazy art!" Some artists and critics took offence at the controversial aspects of the work. Nurkholis felt perhaps there was a little resentment because artists in Malaysia could never dare to do something like this themselves for fear of government disapproval. As a foreigner, Nurkholis felt safe, and no visits from the police occurred! Other young artists Nurkholis met, said they were bored with the stagnant state of painting in Malaysia, - referring to the limitations set by the conservative nature of the society.

Recently, 15th June to 1st July,there has been another exhibition in Jakarta at the Nadi Gallery, entitled "The Body" and curated by Jim Supangkat. This in company with his friend, painter Katirin who also paints the human form. Here too, the video was shown and people have said that having heard about it they were expecting something bordering on pornography, but after viewing the video they all say it is very different from what was in their imaginations. Many people in Jakarta have been curious about it for a year, since the first exhibition here in Yogyakarta a year ago. In Indonesia too, people are still conventional and say that Nurkholis' technique is controversial.

Following the exhibition of Nurkholis and Katirin, the "body theme" continued at Nadi Gallery, with an showing of the works of Murni.

At the present time Nurkholis is continuing with the same painting methods, however his new works incorporate some beautifully blended collage and so he is still developing the them. He says he is not bored with it yet, and feels he can still explore further. His previous works were vastly different, painted in very masterful technique by brush not body, and his skill and a draughtsman is clearly evident in those works I saw at his studio, from his previous period.

Nurkholis is a highly intelligent, strong and yet sensitive man with total commitment to art, and a strong sense of freedom. He is his own man, and will always follow his principles and pursue his truth through his art.

Cynthia Webb
Cultural Networker AIAA
Email:cintia35@hotmail.com