Sunday, January 7, 2018

GUNUNG TALAMAU BY BASOEKI ABDULLAH


BASOEKI ABDULLAH (1915 -1993) 
Gunung Talamau (2,913 m -  9,557 ft)
Indonesia  (West Sumatra) 

In Ngarat Minangkabau,  oi on painting, Bung Karno collection 


The mountain 
Gunung Talamau (2,913 m -  9,557 ft) or Talakmau - also called in the dutch times Mount Ophir-  is the highest mountain in West Sumatra located in Pasaman Barat Regency , adjacent to Mount Pasaman. it  is a volcano but not active anymore.Below the mountain peak at an altitude of about 2,750 m, there are 13 ponds. The names of the ponds are based on some legendary stories believed by the inhabitants around Mount Talamau.  Mount Talamau also has a waterfall with a height of more than 100 meters, named Puti Lenggo Geni Waterfall. It is a popular climbing spot, starting at  the village of Pinagar (240 m).

The painter 
Basoeki  (or Basuki) Abdullah is one of a the modern master painters of Indonesia, known as a realist and naturalist painter. He has been appointed as the official painter of Merdeka Palace in Jakarta and works adorn palaces and presidential countries Indonesia, in addition to have been collectibles from around the world. His father, Abdullah Suriosubroto, was a famous painter and dancer, while his grandfather,  Doctor Wahidin Sudirohusodo, was a prominent Indonesian National Awakening Movement in the early 1900's. Since the age of 4 years, he began to paint  famous personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and "even Jesus Christ and Krishnamurti". His acquired a formal education in the Basoeki Abdullah Catholic and Catholic Mulo in Solo.
In 1933,  he obtained a scholarship to study at the Academic Arts in The Hague, Netherlands, and completed his studies within 3 years with awarded Certificate of Royal International of Art (RIA). On 6 September 1948,  during the revolutionary period,  Basoeki Abdullah is housed in Amsterdam (Netherlands) during the coronation of Queen Juliana which held a contest to paint, he defeated 87 European painters and managed to come out as winners.
Since then, the world began to recognize Basoeki Abdullah, during his frequent visits around Europe (Italy and France) and was well known by many resident artists with a worldwide reputation.