Lot 21
JEIHAN SUKMANTORO
B. Indonesia, 1938 – 2019
Dewina, 2010
Signed and dated “Jeihan 10” on upper right
Oil on canvas
45 x 45 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Singapore
RM 5,000 – RM 9,000
At the tender age of six, an accident left Jeihan with brain damage and epilepsy. He was believed to be dead, but he awakened before he was buried. This experience was believed to play a significant role in his paintings.
Internationally sought after for his tasteful figurative portraits, the hallmark of Jeihan’s artworks is his subject’s blank eyes. Dramatic and striking, the effect can be unsettling but the peculiarity and air of mystery surrounding it draws viewers in. Perhaps this is the artist’s commentary on not conforming to society’s standards.
While there’s a saying that the eyes are the gateway to the soul, there is plenty of soul to be found in his work despite the absence of his subject’s eyes, as in this painting. One could discern a sense of calmness and quiet strength from the subject’s expression, and the transition from brown to orange in the backgro could signify the journey from darkness to hope.