Arie Smit
Encyclopedia
Adrianus Wilhelmus Smit (born April 15, 1916, Zaandam
), is a Dutch
-born Indonesia
n painter living on Bali
.
, where Smit eventually studied graphic design at the Academy of Arts. In his youth he was most inspired by the work of three artists named Paul (Signac
, Gauguin and Cezanne). He was sent to the Dutch East Indies
for military service in 1938, where he worked as a lithographer for the Dutch army's Topographical Service in Batavia
, engraving relief maps of the archipelago. Etching Balinese mountains onto maps ignited his desire to one day go to Bali.
In early 1942 Smit was transferred to the infantry in East Java
, but was soon captured by the invading Japanese forces. He spent three and a half years in forced labor camps building roads, bridges, and railways in Singapore
, Thailand
, and Burma. After the war ended in 1945, Smit was released and returned to the new Republic of Indonesia. He became an Indonesian citizen in 1951 and taught graphics and lithography at the Institut Teknologi Bandung in West Java. In his spare time he criss-crossed Java as a painter and in 1953 had his first exhibition in Palembang
.
On invitation by the art dealer Jim Pandy he finally visited Bali in 1956, staying in a little house on stilts at the beach of Sanur
. Smit and Pandy would remain friends and formed a successful partnership. Pandy was well-connected; Sukarno
himself would sometimes bring his state guests to his small gallery. With his love for bright colors, Smit was captured by the Balinese landscapes in its 'riotous light', and soon decided to stay to depict its villages, rice terraces, palm trees and temples.
In 1960, while touring the countryside of the Ubud
district where he then lived, he came upon some boys drawing in the sand. Impressed by their talent, Smit invited them to his studio, where they promptly became the first of a growing number of students. With minimal instruction but lots of encouragement and material support, his pupils created a naive style of genre painting that became known as the 'Young Artists' style, which at its peak had 300-400 followers. Though he is considered the father of the movement, its style is quite different than any of Smit's own styles over the years.
Since his arrival in Bali, Smit moved some 40 times, "to see what is beyond the next hill". He stayed longest in his favorite areas of Karangasem and Buleleng
. He finally settled near Ubud in the village of Sanggingan under the patronage of Pande Suteja Neka, founder of the Neka Museum.
In recognition for his role in the development of painting on the island, Smit received the Dharma Kusuma (Society of National Heroes) award in 1992 from the government of Bali. The Arie Smit Pavilion was opened at the Neka Art Museum in 1994 to display his works and those of contemporary Balinese artists. The Museum Bali in Denpasar
and the Penang Museum in Malaysia also have collections of his work. Smit further had exhibits in Jakarta
, Singapore
, Honolulu and Tokyo
.
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
), is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-born Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n painter living on Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
.
Early life
Arie Smit was the third of eight children of a trader in cheese and confectionery. His family moved in 1924 from Zaandam to RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, where Smit eventually studied graphic design at the Academy of Arts. In his youth he was most inspired by the work of three artists named Paul (Signac
Paul Signac
Paul Signac was a French neo-impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the pointillist style.-Biography:Paul Victor Jules Signac was born in Paris on 11 November 1863...
, Gauguin and Cezanne). He was sent to the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
for military service in 1938, where he worked as a lithographer for the Dutch army's Topographical Service in Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, engraving relief maps of the archipelago. Etching Balinese mountains onto maps ignited his desire to one day go to Bali.
In early 1942 Smit was transferred to the infantry in East Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, but was soon captured by the invading Japanese forces. He spent three and a half years in forced labor camps building roads, bridges, and railways in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Burma. After the war ended in 1945, Smit was released and returned to the new Republic of Indonesia. He became an Indonesian citizen in 1951 and taught graphics and lithography at the Institut Teknologi Bandung in West Java. In his spare time he criss-crossed Java as a painter and in 1953 had his first exhibition in Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
.
On invitation by the art dealer Jim Pandy he finally visited Bali in 1956, staying in a little house on stilts at the beach of Sanur
Sanur
Sanur may refer to:* Sanur , a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank* Sa-Nur, a former Israeli settlement* Sanur , a town on the Indonesian island of Bali...
. Smit and Pandy would remain friends and formed a successful partnership. Pandy was well-connected; Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
himself would sometimes bring his state guests to his small gallery. With his love for bright colors, Smit was captured by the Balinese landscapes in its 'riotous light', and soon decided to stay to depict its villages, rice terraces, palm trees and temples.
In 1960, while touring the countryside of the Ubud
Ubud
Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency...
district where he then lived, he came upon some boys drawing in the sand. Impressed by their talent, Smit invited them to his studio, where they promptly became the first of a growing number of students. With minimal instruction but lots of encouragement and material support, his pupils created a naive style of genre painting that became known as the 'Young Artists' style, which at its peak had 300-400 followers. Though he is considered the father of the movement, its style is quite different than any of Smit's own styles over the years.
Since his arrival in Bali, Smit moved some 40 times, "to see what is beyond the next hill". He stayed longest in his favorite areas of Karangasem and Buleleng
Buleleng
Buleleng is a regency of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 1,365.88 km2 and population of 577,644 . Its regency seat is Singaraja....
. He finally settled near Ubud in the village of Sanggingan under the patronage of Pande Suteja Neka, founder of the Neka Museum.
In recognition for his role in the development of painting on the island, Smit received the Dharma Kusuma (Society of National Heroes) award in 1992 from the government of Bali. The Arie Smit Pavilion was opened at the Neka Art Museum in 1994 to display his works and those of contemporary Balinese artists. The Museum Bali in Denpasar
Denpasar
Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has a rapidly expanding population of 788,445 in 2010, up from 533,252 in the previous decade. It is located at .-History:...
and the Penang Museum in Malaysia also have collections of his work. Smit further had exhibits in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Honolulu and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Sources
See also
- I Nyoman MasriadiI Nyoman MasriadiI Nyoman Masriadi, a painter, is a prominent Indonesian contemporary artist.-Biography:Masriadi was born 1973, in Gianyar, Bali. He received his training in art at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta...