Footnotes

Provenance
Private collection, Singapore

斯里哈迪·蘇達索諾
婆羅浮屠 - 大自然的氣息
2004年作

簽名：SRIHADI 2004（右上） "Borobudur - the Breath of the Nature" SRIHADI S 2004（畫背）
油彩畫布

來源
新加坡私人收藏

Graceful and elegant, Srihadi Soedarsono's works have strong roots in Javanese culture and spirituality. Widely respected as one of the giants in Indonesian art, Srihadi's contribution to the world of modern Indonesian paintings spanned more than seven decades. To fully appreciate Srihadi's works is akin to understanding his life. Evident through the artist's selection of colours and subject matters, every aspect of Srihadi's works closely mirrors his philosophy and experiences. Trained to observe, Srihadi naturally developed strong understanding of people's lives and their unique existence. His ability to identify characters, objects, and nature influence the way he perceived relationships between life and the universe, which form the base of his artistic practices.

Throughout the span of his long career, cosmic and symbolic landscapes were among his favourite themes. Among them, Borobudur represents a free cosmic symbol that blends with earthly nature. Its contemplative quality exudes serenity so often experienced by the artist. Borobudur—The Breath of Nature is a regal painting showing the majestic monument at its most peaceful state. A master of colours, Srihadi's extensive palette and impeccable choices of colours contribute to the calming mood and tranquil expression of this work effectively. Deep dark background comprised of black, blue and green is accented with touches of faint white suggesting Borobodur at a misty twilight or cool air circulating at crack of dawn. Similarly, the dark background is accompanied by layers of blue and white impasto. A horizontal stretch of white, integrated with various tones of blue, adds textures and gives rise to a brilliant luminosity reflected by the moon directly above the stupa, giving a sense of balance to the composition. Srihadi's masterful combination of tiny coloured brush strokes and jagged lines serve to showcase extremely fine details of the monument, highlighting the magnificence of Borobudur in relation to its expansive space.

Listed as one of UNESCO World Heritage sites, Borobudur is also considered the most glorious and important religious monument in Java. Numerous symbols derived from its structure stipulate the desire to reach nirvana and freedom, elevating humans' relationship with higher divine power. To Srihadi, these entities symbolised the expression of his inner soul, and served as reflections of nature's harmony, peace, and spirit of creativity.