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Lot Essay
HENDRA GUNAWAN: THE NURTURERS OF NATURE
Known as one of the forefathers of Indonesian Modern Art , Hendra Gunawan was a nationalistic artist who dedicated his work to celebrate the Indonesian way of life.
This season, Christie's is pleased to present a pair of works by Hendra Gunawan which celebrate the role of women and the reality of their everyday lives. Hendra's women are often depicted as women at work cultivating the lands Mother Nature has to offer. Recognized for his vibrant and lively colours, Hendra adds colours and vividness to the neutral tones of nature which brings delight to the viewers. He expresses his captivation of Indonesia's beautiful landscapes.
Landscape with Water-Buffaloes (Lot 386), portrays an Indonesian landscape with complete elements of the Earth – volcano, padi fields, river, flora, fauna and humans, all in idyllic harmony, which brings together the cycle of life. In the foreground, there is a woman working in the fields, carrying a basket in the padi fields with the buffaloes hoeing through the fertile soils.
Here, Hendra depicts the scene of daily life – women nurturing the soil, subsequently blossoming into rice paddies. This symbolizes food as the source of life that is sown from the fertile soils and also mirrors the mothers as the source of giving life, shown in Women Overlooking A Cliff with a View of the Sea (Lot 385).
In Women Overlooking A Cliff with a View of the Sea, Hendra paints two groups of women carrying out their daily activities. The group of women on the right are lying on the ground relaxing and socializing together, while the woman on the left is carrying a child, set apart from the crowd to carry out her maternal duties.
The colour composition shows a balance of cooler and warm colours, denoting an awareness of the beauty of the everyday. The mother and child are in the life stage of motherhood, shown as conservative, calm, collected with cool colours complementing the background. On the other hand, the group of women socializing are shown in vibrant, bright and exuberant colours which may indicate the youthful stage of their lives. Hendra enlivens and honours the female spirit as active, strong, nurturing, graceful, and persevering – irreplaceable to the functioning of everyday life and society. The women are enriched with vibrant colours as the artist celebrates the importance of women and their roles in ordinary scenes of daily life.
Known as one of the forefathers of Indonesian Modern Art , Hendra Gunawan was a nationalistic artist who dedicated his work to celebrate the Indonesian way of life.
This season, Christie's is pleased to present a pair of works by Hendra Gunawan which celebrate the role of women and the reality of their everyday lives. Hendra's women are often depicted as women at work cultivating the lands Mother Nature has to offer. Recognized for his vibrant and lively colours, Hendra adds colours and vividness to the neutral tones of nature which brings delight to the viewers. He expresses his captivation of Indonesia's beautiful landscapes.
Landscape with Water-Buffaloes (Lot 386), portrays an Indonesian landscape with complete elements of the Earth – volcano, padi fields, river, flora, fauna and humans, all in idyllic harmony, which brings together the cycle of life. In the foreground, there is a woman working in the fields, carrying a basket in the padi fields with the buffaloes hoeing through the fertile soils.
Here, Hendra depicts the scene of daily life – women nurturing the soil, subsequently blossoming into rice paddies. This symbolizes food as the source of life that is sown from the fertile soils and also mirrors the mothers as the source of giving life, shown in Women Overlooking A Cliff with a View of the Sea (Lot 385).
In Women Overlooking A Cliff with a View of the Sea, Hendra paints two groups of women carrying out their daily activities. The group of women on the right are lying on the ground relaxing and socializing together, while the woman on the left is carrying a child, set apart from the crowd to carry out her maternal duties.
The colour composition shows a balance of cooler and warm colours, denoting an awareness of the beauty of the everyday. The mother and child are in the life stage of motherhood, shown as conservative, calm, collected with cool colours complementing the background. On the other hand, the group of women socializing are shown in vibrant, bright and exuberant colours which may indicate the youthful stage of their lives. Hendra enlivens and honours the female spirit as active, strong, nurturing, graceful, and persevering – irreplaceable to the functioning of everyday life and society. The women are enriched with vibrant colours as the artist celebrates the importance of women and their roles in ordinary scenes of daily life.