LOT 43
JEIHAN SUKMANTORO
B. Indonesia, 1938
Dewi, 2012
Signed and dated “Jeihan 12” on top left
Oil on canvas
70 x 70 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Singapore
SOLD RM 8,960
The flat black eyes can be unnerving, and the more one studies it, the more intriguing it gets. If there were one trait in art that is distinctively Jeihan Sukmantoro, it would be the deliberate painting of black on the eyes of his subjects. It is most certainly different if not disconcerting. Perhaps it is what makes the paintings so dramatic and eye-catching, even in this art piece of his.
Formerly a student in ITB, Indonesia, he never completed his studies due to his rebellious nature. When he was about 5 years old, he had an accident that left him with a brain injury. 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.