For the first time, the private art notebooks of renowned Indonesian contemporary artist S. Sudjojono are open and on display. Interested fans can view the pages as a part of a special exhibition at National Gallery Singapore celebrating gems of the museum’s Southeast Asian art collection, which is the biggest in the world.
The notebook in question is less of a preparation for paintings, which the artist was known for, and more of a personal diary. On display are a number of intimate drawings of Sudjojono’s life, including drawings of his second wife, a renowned opera singer, singing while doing chores at home. These brief windows into the artist’s life are full of whimsy, insight, and humor. Interestingly, the artist also scribbled written notes to accompany the drawings, offering rare information about his thoughts and artistic process. Not many popular artists preserve their thoughts in this way, which makes the display of the pages from the notebook even more special.
In one drawing, a woman in a flower-covered dress stands as another woman, seated, plays the piano. It’s a portrait of Sudjojono’s wife rehearsing, the sheet music just visible behind her. Though both figures in the drawing are facing away from the viewer, the artist has managed to inject a good deal of personality and detail into the composition — right down to the plaid suit of the piano player.
In another drawing, viewers get an up close and personal look at the artist’s studio — which also happens to serve as his bedroom. In one corner, viewers can make out a rumpled bed — and even the foot of the artist himself, poking out of the bottom of a blanket. It’s clear the artist is drawing the scene from the comfort of his own bed, perhaps making some viewers jealous that they might not also have comfortable beds in the middle of their work spaces. A TV rests on a set of drawers, while an easel is pulling temporary double duty as a closet, a cloth draped over it. A fan is pointed upward, resting on a chest of art supplies, and papers with works in progress dominate another corner. The clutter is homey, drawing viewers into Sudjojono’s personal life. Not many artists would give such unfettered access to their creative spaces.
The drawings serve as a personal account of the day to day actions of the artist’s life. They are also a way for him to practice. In one, he recreates a highly detailed scene of a roadside food seller, detailing commuters on mopeds and in cars in the background, and small children milling around in the foreground. Even the thatched roof is painstakingly rendered.
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To read more about S. Sudjojono’s legendary notebook, go to http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/05/17/sudjojonos-sketchbook-unveiled-in-singapore.html.