Hendra Gunawan is often deemed the maestro of modern art in Indonesia, his theatrical paintings are profuse with bright colors and cultural symbolism. Characterized by his radiant fusion of color and the exaggerated stylization of his figures, the present lot Women Buying Fish Along the Beach (Lot 35), is no exception. Stylistically, this painting encapsulates the typical vernacular of Gunawan’s earlier period work and can be dated to the 1960s, when the artist favored a pastel palette in the background and employed more delicate brushwork for the batik details on the figures’ clothing.

Having grown up in Bandung, Gunawan’s fascination with and appreciation of Indonesian culture can be seen through the subjects and themes of his work. Gunawan’s nuanced approach to his depiction of the women of the village perhaps highlights the immense impact of his mother and other strong women from his childhood. Moreover, his paintings reflect the circadian nature of traditional Indonesian life and the rhythms of the everyday rituals.

Gunawan’s theatrical flair for color shines through this piece in a myriad of ways, from the fish that glisten akin to a rainbow, to the beautiful batik, bursting with florals. This painting is quintessential Gunawan in its celebration of the beauty of tradition and community. The artist’s use of cultural motifs such as the traditional fishing boats in the background and the layers of batik fabric draped over the women adds context to the painting. The man seen sprinting into the distance adds a sense of dynamism to the painting and it appears that each person is performing their role, further enhancing the sense of collaboration between them. Despite the painting’s focus resting on the women in the foreground, the fishermen in the background work together to offload the fresh catch onto the beach. The scene appears to be buzzing with the excitement of an abundant catch, the salmon pink sand spilling over into the aquamarine hue of the sea. The women seamlessly blend into the scene with their blue skin and dark, billowing hair.

There is a fantastical element to the painting that epitomizes the magic of Gunawan’s work as the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary. Women Buying Fish Along the Beach hails from a private collection in Germany and is fresh to auction.

亨德拉·古拿溫被譽為印尼現代藝術的大師，其戲劇化的繪畫色彩濃重鮮豔，文化符號豐富。《海邊買魚的女人》(拍品編號 35)便是其中的優秀作例，作品中明亮色彩的交融及形象誇張、風格化的人物，構成藝術家的標誌性畫風。本作展示了古拿溫早期（亦即1960年代）作品典型的本土風格，當時，他偏愛柔和色調的背景，善以細緻筆觸勾勒人物服飾的蠟染細節。

古拿溫在萬隆長大，其創作主題和題材流露出他對印尼文化的熱愛和欣賞。他將村莊婦女刻畫得入木三分，這或許是源於童年時期母親和其他女性的堅強形象深深烙印在他心裏。此外，他的畫作還細緻地反映了印尼傳統生活的節律和日常習俗。

本作展現了古拿溫在顔色搭配上的過人天賦，從閃爍如彩虹的漁獲，到繁花盛放的蠟染，無不光彩動人。鮭魚色的沙子流瀉到海水的碧藍色調中，作品捕捉了一片繁華熱鬧的景象，洋溢著豐收的喜悅。古拿溫作品具有一種化腐朽為神奇的魔力，平凡的事物經其畫筆妙然生趣。〈海邊買魚的女人〉來自德國的私人藏家，呈現了古拿溫的革新風格和獨特觀點，堪屬佳作。