LOT 54
POPO ISKANDAR
(B. Indonesia, 1927-2000)
Two Cat and The Sun, 1998
Signed and dated “Popo ‘98” on lower left
Oil on canvas
75 x 70 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Indonesia
Comes with a certificate from the artist
AVAILABLE – RM 20,000 – RM 28,000
Known for his numerous depictions of leopards, cats and roosters, this oil on canvas piece is a homage to one of the creatures that interest Popo the most during his career. “I don’t just look at cats with my eyes, but also with my mind’s eye (feelings). It is the complete cat which I understand in the totality of its existence. What I want to achieve in painting is the expression of what I comprehend through an object.” Popo often described panthers as mysterious and magical. The clear, pristine background amplifies the impact of these two intertwined panthers, whose black fur stand out impressively and green, intense and wary eyes gaze back at the viewer. Popo not only captured the panthers in their physical form, but also the spiritual form. It is often said that Popo incorporates his liking for Sundanese music into his paintings, which influenced the graceful, poetic and musical movements of these panthers across the canvas.
Popo undertook a painting course at Keimin Buka Shidoso, Bandung, where his interest in art grew under the guidance of Hendraw Gunawan and Barli Sasmitawinata. He first started as a poster painter for the Information Service of Indonesian Students Armed Force (TRIP) and enrolled at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Department of Fine Arts and graduated in 1958. He was also a lecturer at the State Teachers Training in College where he was known not only as a scholar but an art critic.