`Memories of My Homeland': Sudjana Kerton Talks About His Art

by Tony Donaldson, Research Fellow, Monash Asia Institute, Monash University.

As a student in Bandung during the late 1980s, Tony Donaldson recorded two conversations with Sudjana Kerton, the seminal artist who is regarded as the first Indonesian to use the Cubist style. In 2005, he rediscovered these tapes and set out to transcribe them. The excerpts in this article focus on Kerton's early days as a war artist, his association with President Sukarno, his experiences living in Indonesia, Europe and the US, and perspectives about how he communicated through his art. His most significant works are perhaps those he produced during the latter period of his life in Bandung. Kerton did not only depict the beauty of the Indonesian landscape but he also saw his works as a way of expressing social criticism with humour.

Punk Rock USA By Sudjana Kerton (1922-94), 1984 Oil on canvas Height 140 cm, width 120 cm

by Joohyun Lee, lecturer in the department of art history at Myongji University.

The artist Gim Gichang's life reflects the tumultuous times Korea experienced in the 20th century. Gim's works can be seen as a response to the artistic currents and aesthetics which were influential during the period. Under the Japanese colonial system he produced Nihonga-style paintings for national exhibitions. Following liberation in 1954, Gim participated in various artistic groups absorbing international trends like cubism and abstract expressionism in his work. Joohyun Lee explores Gim's creative journey from the mid-1940s to 1970, showing how he combined Western abstractionism with the traditional ink-and-brush medium to create his own distinctive artistic identity.

Ox and Woman By Gim Gichang (1914-2000), 1960-65 Colours on paper Height 221 cm, width 169 cm Hoam Museum of Art

by Jason Steuber, Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellow at Glasgow University's Department of History of Art.

American collector Frederick Gordon bought his first contemporary Chinese artwork in 1983 catalysing a series of acquisitions over the next two decades. He gradually narrowed his focus to ink-and-paper works following the path of traditional connoisseurs and collectors in China. Through his detailed discussion of several works, Jason Steuber examines how Gordon has developed his interests and how the classical ideal of the Three Perfections (of poetry, painting and calligraphy) can continue to be relevant in the art of the present day.

Chan Painting By Lu Shoukun (1919-75), 1970 Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper Height 149.6 cm, width 80.6 cm Frederick L. Gordon Collection

The Estella Collection of contemporary Chinese art was formed by New York-based financier Sacha Lainovic and a group of like-minded friends with leading dealer Michael Goedhuis as their advisor. More than 300 works have been brought together with the intention that they be studied and published. The result is China Onward: The Estella Collection — Chinese Contemporary Art, 1966-2006, an impressive volume with contributions from leading scholars in the field. Orientations talks to those involved with the collection about the motivations of setting it up.

Chairman Mao with Us By Zeng Fanzhi (b. 1964), 2005 Oil on canvas Height 145 cm, width 220 cm

by Yang Yingshi, Museum Fellow at the Asia Society Museum in New York.

This September, the retrospective `Zhang Huan: Altered States' opens at the Asia Society Museum. The show covers the artist's major works produced in the last fifteen years. While many remember Zhang Huan for his controversial performances during the heyday of Beijing's East Village, the artist's works have evolved since then. Yang Yingshi discovers how Zhang has engaged in the global-local dialogue and how his Buddhist practice has impacted his recent work.

Family Tree By Zhang Huan (b. 1965), 2000 Colour photographs, nos 2, 5 and 6 in a series of nine Each: height 152.4 cm, width 101.6 cm Collection of Larry Warsh (Courtesy of Larry Warsh)

Zhang Huan pours incense ash for a sculpture at his new studio in Shanghai (Courtesy of the artist)

by Ian Alsop, independent scholar of Nepalese and Tibetan cultural and art history, and director of Peaceful Wind Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Until now, art from Tibet has been largely associated with historical material like Buddhist images, implements and thangkas. In recent years, the work of young artists mostly based in Lhasa has attracted the attention of gallerists from Beijing to New York. Many of these artists underwent the rigorous training typical of Chinese art academies. Profoundly affected by the opposing forces of tradition and modernity, they have used their artistic practices to respond to the rapid changes in their society and environment. Ian Alsop introduces the work of some of these artists.

Lhasa Train By Gade (b. 1971), 2006 Mixed media on handmade Tibetan paper Height 60 cm, width 130 cm Peaceful Wind Gallery, Santa Fe (Photography by Jason Sangster)

by Oscar Ho Hing-kay, art critic and curator, presently directs the MA programme in Cultural Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Through the works of three young artists, Oscar Ho eloquently captures the spirit in which contemporary art is created within Hong Kong. What emerges is an originality that is restrained and introverted, yet rich in discoveries made through intimate explorations within personal spaces.

Stages By Chan Mei Hin (b. 1961), 2006 A set of six hanging screens, thread Heights 203-15 cm, widths 70-75 cm (Courtesy of the artist)

by Norman Ford, image-maker and educator for over twenty years, and curator for Hong Kong at the 52nd Venice Biennale.

Norman Ford introduces Hong Kong's entry for this year's Venice Biennale and discusses some of the issues that are challenging for curators in a `nationally' formatted international art exhibition. Amy Cheung, Map Office and Hiram To's works focus on how Hong Kong as a city tries to present itself as a global presence. The title STAR FAIRY sets up its critique and a set of questions moving between references to fantasy, narrative and fame to the now defunct Star Ferry pier and its symbolic links to nostalgia, heritage, preservation and disappearance in Hong Kong.

Devil's Advocate By Amy Cheung, 2007 Aluminium, insulation, ice, glass, wiring and freezer unit components Height 3.2 m, length 6.5 m, width 3 m

by Hwang Yin.

As Hong Kong commemorates the 10th anniversary of becoming a Special Administrative Region of China, Orientations brought together a group of activists from Hong Kong's visual arts community to deconstruct the developments of the past decade and the state of the scene today. Kurt Chan, Tobias Berger, Henry Au-yeung, Wen Yau, Kwan Sheung-chi and Valerie C. Doran are representative of the plurality of cultural viewpoints that co-exist in the city. The wide-ranging discussion explored the fundamental nature of Hong Kong art and addressed missing links within the SAR's cultural infrastructure. Although the artists from the mainland appear to be taking the centre stage in the international market these days, those in Hong Kong have a vital presence within their own city, supported by a group of dedicated educators, curators, arts writers and collectors.

Far Away So Close, Floating Cities Encounters By Kurt Chan Yuk-keung (b. 1959), 2005 Mixed Media Height 2.43 m, length 6 m, depth 1.2 m

Victoria City By Wilson Shieh (b. 1970), 2006 Ink and colour on silk Height 71 cm, length 96 cm `The Pivotal Decade: Hong Kong Art 1997-2007' at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, 2007 Grotto Fine Art

by Julie Segraves, Executive Director, Asian Art Coordinating Council.

This review of Fang Lijun's first solo exhibition in China in 2006 attempts to explain why collectors since the 1990s have been attracted to works of the Cynical Realist School. Over the last 19 years, Fang's work has continued to use the motif of bald-headed figures with large open mouths in his work. Julie Segraves questions if these are bald-headed masterpieces or bold-faced commercialism.

Detail of Series By Fang Lijun (b. 1963) Acrylic on canvas Overall: height 4.6 m, length 35 m

by Chitra Prasad Patel, Founder and Director of Zamaana, an organization that assists contemporary Indian artists in exhibiting at academic and commercial venues outside India. For more information, visit www.zamaanaarts.com.

Chitra Patel discusses the growth of the international market in contemporary Indian art and examines how the demand for works has impacted the arts scene within India. Given the size of the country and the growing middle class, the potential for growth is phenomenal. With the lack of space to show their work, many artists have taken to offering their work to online auctions. Patel cautions that young artists who take this route to immediate success risk losing the opportunity to develop depth in their work.

Flash Back By Balaji Ponna (b. 1980), 2006 Mixed media on canvas Height 122 cm, width 91 cm New Delhi, India

by Margaret Tao

The allure of New York's Asia Week this March was the auctions, primarily a collection of Chinese and Indian bronzes and sculpture consigned to Sotheby's by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. Securing these amazing pieces was paramount in enabling Sotheby's to dramatically supplant Christie's long-standing dominance in the Asian art market in New York. The total of US$35,296,700 for `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' on 19 and 20 March was the highest ever at Sotheby's, New York for this category. The top lot being a late Shang bronze fangjia, the only example recorded with an owl design. Its provenance dates back to 1944 when Otto Burchard acquired it in Beijing, reputedly shortly after it was found at Anyang, and it was sold by New York dealer Mathias Komor to Albright-Knox in 1953 for US$10,000. London dealer Roger Keverne was determined to purchase the bronze for Sir Peter Moores's museum at Compton Verney. Bidding started slowly, but vying with at least three others Keverne finally paid US$8.104 million, a record for Chinese art at Sotheby's, New York.

Fangjia China, late Shang period (c. 1250-1046 BCE) Bronze Height 30.7 cm Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art including Property of The Albright-Knox Art Gallery' sale, New York, 20 March 2007, lot 507 Price: US$8.104 million (estimate US$2/3 million)

Sotheby's `Contemporary Art Asia: China Korea Japan' sale on 21 March achieved a total of US$25,348,599. The international-style, post-1989 avant-garde works are still the most popular but buyers have become more discerning. Bloodline: Three Comrades, a relatively early (1994) example of Zhang Xiaogang's `Bloodline Series', went to a European collector for the highest price of US$2.112 million. An auction record was established for Yue Minjun when a European collector bought Goldfish for US$1.384 million.

Goldfish By Yue Minjun (b. 1962), 1993 Oil on canvas Height 180.3 cm, length 247.6 cm Sotheby's `Contemporary Art Asia, China Korea Japan' sale, New York, 21 March 2007, lot 53 Price: US$1.384 million (estimate US$500/700,000)

The total of US$15,007,880 for the `Indian Art including Miniatures and Modern Paintings' sale on 22 March was the highest ever for this category at Sotheby's. An Indian collector paid the highest price of US$1.16 million for Tyeb Mehta's Untitled, from his `Falling Figure' series. Another sought-after and unusual work was Still Life by Francis Newton Souza from an English collection - it went to a European collector for US$712,000. Works by modernist masters such as Mehta, Newton Souza, Maqbool Fida Husain, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee and Syed Haider Raza, most of whom were born in the 1920s, still fetch the top prices, now five times higher than three years ago.
Sotheby's `Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art' auction on 23 March was another record-breaking sale, with a total of US$8,976,400. It included several Albright-Knox masterpieces and other carefully selected examples from collections with equally impressive provenance. London dealer John Eskenazi set an auction record for an Indian stone sculpture when he paid US$4.072 million for a magnificent Chola granite image of Shiva as Brahma from the Albright-Knox. Eskenazi bought it on behalf of The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Shiva as Brahma India, Chola period, 10th century Granite Height 162.6 cm Sotheby's `Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art including Property of The Albright-Knox Art Gallery' sale, New York, 23 March 2007, lot 27 Price: US$4.072 million (estimate US$3/4 million)

Sales at Christie's began with `Japanese and Korean Art' on 20 March. The total of US$6,610,180 was one of the best in recent years. Paintings and screens were one of the strongest sections, the star being a recently discovered pair of six-panel screens titled Pine Trees in Moonlight attributed to Hasegawa Tohaku and closely resembling the famous National Treasure screens Pine Trees by Tohaku in the Tokyo National Museum. A Japanese dealer paid US$880,000.
The most prized examples among the 88 lots offered in the fourth part of `Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from The J & J Collection' on 22 March were from the imperial palace workshops. A bidder on the telephone acquired a Qianlong enamelled glass bottle decorated with a scene of two egrets amidst lotus and grasses for the highest price of US$273,600.
Asian bidders concentrated once again on white jade, rhinoceros horn and Buddhist sculpture at Christie's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale on 22 March. The highlight was a set of ten imperial inscribed white jade plaques, pendants and other pieces from the Song period and later, from the collection of Stephen Junkunc III. There was a fierce contest between four or five bidders, with the lot reportedly going to two Chinese collectors for US$1.832 million.

Brushwasher China, 18th century White jade Length 17.8 cm Christie's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale, New York, 22 March 2007, lot 98 Price: US$768,000 (estimate US$40/60,000)

Christie's `Modern and Contemporary Indian Art' on 21 March realized US$8,593,080. The frequency of auctions has limited buyers' ability to reflect critically on the numerous works on offer, and the urgency to participate has diminished. Paintings by members of the Progressive Artists' Group, such as Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Syed Haider Raza, Francis Newton Souza and Jagdish Swaminathan, were favoured again, although Tyeb Mehta's Diagonal XV remained unsold. An American collector bought an untitled abstract by Gaitonde from the estate of Krishna Riboud for US$768,000, the sale's highest price.
Private provenance played a significant role in the record total of US$7,478,360 for Christie's `Indian and Southeast Asian Art' sale on 21 March. The best performances were achieved by pieces from the collection of Christian H. Fischbacher of Switzerland. Jules Speelman paid a world record of US$2.728 million for an exceptionally fine and large Vijayanagar bronze Parvati from this estate.

Parvati India, Vijayanagar period, c. 1400 Bronze Height 84.5 cm Christie's `Indian and Southeast Asian Art' sale, New York, 21 March 2007, lot 257 Price: US$2.728 million (estimate US$400/600,000)

Doyle's `Asian Works of Art' sale on 20 March achieved US$1,455,270. Most of the 400 lots were from the collection of St John's University, New York and included a wide variety of Japanese sword fittings, netsuke, inro, lacquer and Meiji bronzes. Chinese pottery and porcelain, jade, scholar's objects, bronzes and paintings were also on offer.

by Margaret Tao

All the dealers who participated in Asia Week benefitted from the buzz generated by the auctions. For the preview of the Arts of Pacific Asia Show on 21 March the organizers recorded the second highest attendance and exhibitors reported their strongest business since the show began in 1995. Robyn Buntin and The Jade Dragon were capitalizing on the willingness of Japanese collectors to sell, at current market values, their Chinese material, which is usually in perfect condition. Marley Rabstenek's Chinese works of art in bronze and ivory sold particularly well, and Jon Eric Riis found his Chinese textiles were in greater demand this year.
Vicki Shiba shared a stand with Robert Bigler and both found it a good opportunity to talk to the many museum curators who attended. Leiko Coyle found more demand for minor pieces. Thomas Murray sold numerous Indonesian pieces and Chinalai Tribal Antiques also did well with their Southeast Asian textiles and with jewellery.

The gala opening of the International Asian Art Fair was attended by a crowd of over 1,200 people. More than US$850,000 was raised for the Asia Society. Kaikodo, who were one of the few to display Chinese paintings and among a handful with Chinese ceramics and works of art, were inundated with new clients.
Ghangkhar Ah-Nhey from Nepal had an impressive Chakrasamvara thangka which sold early and the Rubin Museum acquired five sets of 18th and 19th century medical paintings.

Pema Wangmo, Tenzing Lama and Sonam Gyaltsen of Ghangkhar Ah-Nhey Asian Art

Nancy Wiener sold almost her entire collection, including an 11th century Baphuon head of the Buddha, one of the most important she has ever handled. Sandra Whitman sold several important Kangxi period and Khotan rugs.
The strong selection of Japanese screens, tea-ceremony wares, baskets and lacquer shown by Hiroshi Yanagi, Erik Thomsen and Grace Tsumugi brought interested clients to the show. Joan Mirviss sold all the ceramics by Kakurezaki Ryuichi, who works in the Bizen tradition and was exhibiting outside Japan for the first time.
Martha Sutherland had more enquiries about and sales of traditionally inspired contemporary Chinese ink paintings rather than the international-style works. Contemporary paintings at Sundaram Tagore were in great demand, particularly those by Hiroshi Senju and Natvar Bhavsar.

Sundaram Tagore

Michael Goedhuis agreed that the opening was impressive and that there were new people.

In the Fuller Building, Carole Davenport did very well with her Japanese ceramics and sculpture, and Dai Ichi Arts and Toyobi successfully shared space to show contemporary Japanese ceramics and Nanga School paintings.
Carlo Cristi showed many more Central Asian and Himalayan textiles to new clients. Rossi & Rossi sold thirteen of the 23 gilt bronzes amassed by Sandor Fuss over the last twenty years to buyers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, with one going to an American collector. There was also interest in the works created by Tibetan artists specifically for the exhibition. Most were rooted in the religious tradition but were contemporary in style and media. Carlton Rochell had his best show since opening his gallery in October 2006.
Gisele Croes was particularly successful with her Liao material - all the crowns sold, and a number of new collectors were introduced to other luxury objects worn by the elite of the period.
Unintentionally, James Lally and Eskenazi both showed remarkable selections of Song ceramics. Their overwhelming success is a clear indication of the great demand for authentic pieces of the best form and glaze, now seen only in established collections. Eric Zetterquist also did well with his selection of Song monochromes.
Priestley & Ferraro showed an impressive collection of Tang ceramic camels at China 2000, who were exhibiting paintings by Shao Yixuan and the Beijing Salon. As expected, most of the paintings by Liu Dan at the Chinese Porcelain Company sold. A stucco image of a standing bodhisattva from Gandhara or Central Asia was just one of the exceptional exhibits shown by John Eskenazi at MD Flacks, whose collection of Chinese furniture is highly popular.
Robyn Turner and Susan Tosk of Orientations Gallery were so encouraged by their decision to jointly exhibit their Chinese jades and Japanese works of art at the Helmsley Carlton Hotel. Collectors of Japanese art responded very well to the show of paintings on Chinese themes by Japanese artists, and porcelain made in China for the Japanese market, at Koichi Yanagi, and to the Buddhist sutras and illustrated narratives as well as sculptures and objects used in Shinto and Buddhist ritual contexts on view at Sebastian Izzard in association with London Gallery.

The total of HK$783,847,600 achieved by Sotheby's at their spring sales in Hong Kong indicated that no ill effects had been suffered from the precipitous falls in the world's stock markets a few weeks before.
Contemporary Chinese Art (Parts I & II)' sale on 7 April raised a total of HK$214,472,400. Competition on Xu Beihong's Put Down Your Whip drove the price to HK$72 million, establishing an auction record for the artist and for a Chinese oil painting.

Put Down Your Whip By Xu Beihong (1895-1953), 1939 Oil on canvas Height 144 cm, width 90 cm Sotheby's `Contemporary Chinese Art (Parts I & II)' sale, Hong Kong, 7 April 2007, lot 29 Price: HK$72 million (unpublished estimate HK$30/40 million)

A Taiwan dealer bidding on behalf of a client bought Force d'ame by Zhu Dequn for HK$8.16 million and Composition No. 268 achieved HK$7.04 million. Zhang Xiaogang continued his domination of the contemporary Chinese art market and Tiananmen No. 1 fetched HK$15.44 million. The consistent quality of the selection brought HK$118.1 million in the `Fine Chinese Paintings' sale on 9 April. Competition drove the price for Waterfall in Tiers by Li Keran to HK$8.384 million, making it the sale's top lot. Steep Hillside by Fu Baoshi went to New York collector Deng Shixun for HK$4.32 million. An exquisite album of landscapes by Orthodox School painter Wang Hui and the copy of it made by Dai Xi, the late Qing scholar-official, were among the most intriguing works offered. Not surprisingly the desire to possess them resulted in heated bidding, with Han Mo Xuan acquiring both albums, paying HK$2.52 million for the Wang Hui and HK$840,000 for the Dai Xi.

The invincible team of Nicolas Chow and Kevin Ching, backed by the legacy of Julian Thompson, secured some impressive Chinese ceramics, jades and works of art for Sotheby's auctions on 8 April. The first sale, `Important Chinese Art - The Collection of a Parisian Connoisseur'. The collection of 25 ceramics, mostly of the Qing period but with some Ming examples, and a few works of art, is the result of years of search (1979 to 1996) in obscure auctions and other outlets throughout France by Paris dealer Dominique Duchange at a time when famille-verte and export wares were more fashionable. Duchange's foresight was rewarded: all the lots, designated as `premium', sold, for HK$128.304 million. As anticipated, the most expensive was a Yongzheng period famille-rose altar vase. Shanghai dealer Lu Feifei was the final buyer against Taiwan dealer Michael Wang at HK$22.72 million (lot 507; estimate HK$6/8 million). The ability of the artisans in the Forbidden City workshops to satisfy the lavish and extravagant taste of the Qianlong emperor was manifest in an elaborately jewelled elephant supporting a bronze vase set with a watch, signed by James Bedlock of London. A Hong Kong collector was the successful bidder at HK$9.504 million (lot 517; estimate HK$6/8 million).

Kevin Ching and Nicolas Chow with the top lots

For `By Heavenly Mandate - Important Historical Works of Art of the Qianlong Reign', Sotheby's had brought together five important jades. A comparison of their prices with those achieved at earlier Christie's auctions reflects how this market has grown in ten years. The first, a group of seven archer's rings with their original cinnabar box and cover, had sold for HK$4.97 million in April 1997. This time it went to a Taiwan collector for a record HK$47.36 million. An Eastern Han bi bearing an inscription composed by the Qianlong emperor carved on the outer edge, mounted within a carved zitan table screen and dated 1770, had sold in October 1990 for HK$750,000; it also went to a Taiwan collector for HK$34.48 million.
The highlight of the `Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art' sale was a Qianlong period enamel miniature vase decorated with European figures which had at one time been in the J.M. Hu collection. It went to a Taiwan collector, underbid by someone from Hong Kong, for HK$33.92 million.

In her commentary, Atteqa Ali, Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies at the National College of Arts, Lahore, and an independent curator, conveys the saga of the inauguration of the new National Art Gallery in Islamabad, Pakistan. Artists-turned-curators from different parts of Pakistan were called together to form a committee to organize thought-provoking exhibitions of Pakastini art in the new galleries. She concludes that what was once a unique enterprise that would have opened doors for a broad spectrum of visual artists is now rife with mismanagement and controversy, from censorship to budget and staffing concerns. The new National Art Gallery held many possibilities for the kind of art that could be presented and viewed. Instead, the `official' definition of art appears to be the ruling institution at the moment. The building has yet to be inaugurated; once it is open for business, viewers in Pakistan and around the world will see if it is business as usual or something new.

Clash of Civilizations By Iftikhar Dadi (b. 1961) and Elizabeth Dadi, 2002 Print on flex Height 213 cm, length 640 cm