Kampung (Village), 1967

Watercolor on paper
51 x 66 cm
Collection of Galeri Nasional Indonesia


The series of paintings, Village, shows the typical qualities of Oesman Effendi’s paintings – that is, simplification and the ordering of form. The objects depicted in his paintings are often what he saw in his daily life: the details are then simplified and turned into abstract statements. The depiction of kampung life in these two paintings have been transformed into fields of colour and compositions of lines which form a number of triangles. The atmosphere is created through the contrast of thick, dark green lines against the light background.

The simplification and the ordering of forms is OE’s effort to create his own world, through exploration nature and feeling that he is a part of the environment. Danarto, in his obituary of OE, wrote that OE, frequently referred to tasawuf in his regarding of his works as a spiritual act. In simple terms, tasawuf is the desire to improve oneself and cleans one’s soul.

 

About the Artist

​​Oesman Effendi, who is better known by just his initials, OE, which he used every time he wrote critical reivews for the mass media throughout his life. His works were found throughout society. Together with Abdulsalam, he designed the first currency that was used in the newly independent Indonesian nation. Based on his work at the Seniman Indonesia Muda group and the Gabungan Pelukis Indonesia (United Indonesian Artists), OE wrote the visual arts curriculum at LPKJ which later became the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ). He encouraged a method of study similar to that of the pesantren, which enabled students to learn from their teacher without being limited by time.


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