signed and dated lower middle
oil on board
48.5 x 38 cm (unframed), 57.5 x 47.5 cm (framed)
“And that is manifested physically in the misty veil he covered his paintings with and through the expressiveness of forms in depicting nature. And in the colors that are mixed as if they are diffused into one another to create an illusion of objects moving in slow motion that arrests you. Just like the movement of the clouds that are floating in the air, or the surface of gentle lake that ripples fluidly. They are paintings with empathy.”
– Agus Dermawan. T, 1983
In the 1930s, Zaini spent his formative years under leading figures such as Wakidi, S. Sudjojono and Basoeki Abdullah. He later moved to Yogyakarta and joined the sanggar (studio), Pelukis Rakyat (People’s Painter) founded by Affandi and Hendra Gunawan. The group espoused the idea of art for the people, which strongly influenced Zaini’s expressionist paintings made in the 1950s to 1970s.
Despite the dominance of social realism during the early years of Indonesia’s independence, Zaini resisted against the prevailing conventions. Instead, he developed a unique style that focused on the relationship between colours, and imbued his landscapes with personal and cultural significance. Boats, mountains, and bodies of water are recurring motifs that allude to essential elements of Indonesian heritage and philosophy.
In this 1973 abstract work, Zaini suggests at a mountain range swathed in dreamy mists through the horizontally applied impasto in rich verdant green that cuts across the vertical composition. In the bottom right quadrant, a decisively placed diagonal conjures the image of a path or river receding into the distance, masterfully creating a sense of depth. Near the top of the canvas, a nuanced swirl evokes the sun rising through the morning mist, painting the scene in its gentle warm glow.
Location: Singapore
