HAJI WIDAYAT | Hutan Lindung (Protected Forest)

Private Asian Collection

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of wear and losses along the edges of the work. There is craquelure to the pigment, with some associated flaking and losses. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals minor areas of restoration scattered across the work. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Struck by a nationalistic fervor that had emerged from post-independence Indonesia, artists strove to articulate a recognizable Indonesian identity in their works. Moved by similar desires, Javanese artist Haji Widayat shifted from the predominantly Dutch Bandung school to the Indonesian-run ASRI academy in Yogyakarta. Under the tutelage of Hendra Gunawan, Widayat’s work transitioned from the sweet, Mooi-Indië (Beautiful Indies) landscapes into the epochal, ‘magical-decorative’ style that marked his mature oeuvre. An idyllic, hidden forest set in one of Widayat’s fantasy worlds, Hutan Lindung (Protected Forest) is adorned in highly stylized, decorative elements that reference the artist’s experience as a traditional batik maker. Blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy, the mythical scenery resonates with the fantastical qualities found in Eastern tradition, where inner experiences hold as much significance as the material world.^[1]

The lush greenery is depicted with dexterous familiarity, reminiscent of the period Widayat had spent sequestered in the Sumatran jungles. Rendered in a muted, earthy palette of dark greens and yellow, the painting exudes a primordial essence that recalls the mysticism of tribal Javanese art. The primitive tendencies of Widayat’s painting style strips the trees down to their barest essence and rebuilds them into abstract, ornamental forms that transform the scenery into an enchanting, otherworldly experience. While the work’s dominant use of gold is aesthetically akin to the Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt (862-1918)’s highly stylized canvases, Widayat’s use of tanned pinks, cerulean blue, and lime greens punctuate the vista and adds a sense of spatial depth.

The composition pulses with a fluctuating rhythm, as if the viewer was enveloped in the tropical breeze of the forest itself. The artist pays keen attention to every single branch and leaf, painting them in dexterous detail and forming a random yet harmonious pattern within the dense foliage. The vast reservoir of Widayat’s opus conceives an aesthetic vocabulary that encapsulates the primitive beauty of his Indonesian roots, accompanied by a rare sensitivity to both the visible and the invisible. As suggested by the work’s title, Hutan Lindung (Protected Forest) is a testament to artist’s love for Indonesia’s natural beauty, its land and the forces that admire and hope to protect it.

^[1] Helena Spanjaard, Hong Djien Oei, Pioneer Number Four: H.Widayat, Jakarta 2014, 59.