Pak Ngurah, my driver in Bali, mentioned Raden Saleh for a bit on our way to Ubud last Saturday. It was the first time I heard about him, and suddenly my sister said there's a Raden Saleh exhibition happening here in Jakarta curated by Dr Werner Kraus. I've been getting quite a lot of coincidences recently and this one is definitely a well-received one.
Ending this week, the exhibition can be seen as a success. His 19th century romanticism style incorporated with Indonesian culture are mind blowing. You might not have any clue about the existence of European-looking artworks being made with figures wearing batik and tani hats. Besides the strong compositions and impressionistic choice of colors, his paintings and his life revealed the strength of human culture that revolves and evolve throughout lives. It is just so critical to a point where you feel ashamed of yourself and the world you're living in, but that is what you need; some kind of inspiring reflection.
Please do consider to come if you're interested. It's free, and you're gonna be able to witness something that's subtly amazing.
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