Bunga (Flower), 1956

Watercolor on Paper
35 x 45 cm
Collection of  Galeri Nasional Indonesia
 
Rusli’s painting is along the same line of Japanese and Chinese traditional paintings through its use of lines of varying width which are sometimes transparent, sometimes bright, while also leaving of lot of empty space.

Haiku, the short poetic tradition of Japan which usually consists only of three lines, is often used to describe Rusli’s works. Rusli first encountered haiku, when he was studying at Santiniketan in India, with many other Japanese students. Through using thin and thick brush strokes, which are occasionally transparent, and with bright colours and leaving much empty space, Rusli’s works follow the styles of traditional Japanese and Chinese paintings.

A typical example of his works, includes Bunga (Flower, 1956) which was made using water colours. According to Oei Siyan Yok, Rusli preferred water colour to oil because he foud it more spontaneous, fresh and assertive. Rusli’s paintings from this period show a similar transparency and refinement.

 

About the Artist

Rusli departed for India to study medicine, but he returned to Indonesia as an arts graduate. At the Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, he studied painting, sculpture, and eastern philosophy. This education prepared him for various roles in the arts. Starting as a illustration teacher at Taman Siswa (Garden of Students), Rusli, who was born in Medan (North Sumatra), took on the role of the head of Seniman Indonesia Muda (Young Indonesian Artists), at the Yogyakarta Branch between 1947-48, and the deputy head of the International Association of Plastic Arts UNESCO in 1960, and as one of the first members of the Akademi Jakarta (Jakarta Academy) in 1970. As an artist, he is known for being one of the pioneers of abstract painting in Indonesia.


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