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Jakarta Post

Husein Anang: Turning waste into worth

Glass bottles and other inorganic waste brought by the river to the estuary accumulates at the mouth of the beach and is scattered across the sand, especially during the rainy season

Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post)
West Lombok
Mon, December 15, 2008

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Husein Anang: Turning waste into worth

Glass bottles and other inorganic waste brought by the river to the estuary accumulates at the mouth of the beach and is scattered across the sand, especially during the rainy season.

Unlike household waste that is transported to the garbage dump, trash that ends up at the estuary will usually remain there. Worthless, it is not collected and it takes a long time for nature to break down such man-made items.

HUSEIN ANANG: (JP/Panca Nugraha)

The creative and talented Husein Anang, 42, however, can move waste from the beach into a living room, and even into an art gallery.

Like the metamorphosis of an ugly caterpillar which turns into a cocoon before it becomes a beautiful butterfly, in his hands, waste can become valuable art.

"They were once useful, but they are then damaged, thrown out and become worthless. I take them and try to make them valuable," Husein told The Jakarta Post.

When the Post visited Husein's house in Batulayar district, West Lombok, four collages, each 1-meter square, could be seen hanging on the living room wall.

Husein said he liked to create pictures of sea animals, including sea horses, which are colorful and have strong, amazing features.

He said he used various kinds of waste to create the works but he mainly uses drift wood to frame them. He has even used frames made of wood from disused railway sleepers.

Husein works by adhering various kinds of waste, including broken glasses, ceramics, shells and even horseshoes to his driftwood frames.

"All of the materials are waste. I use shells after the (sea) animals die. Once a buyer from Germany complained as he thought I used shells from animals which had not died of natural causes. (Foreigners) are quite sensitive about the environment," he said.

Husein obtains materials for his collages from the beach in Kampung Melayu, Ampenan. It is an estuary area where the Jangkok, the biggest river in Lombok, meets the sea.

"During the wet season there is a natural process with the waste brought by the Jangkok River ... whatever doesn't sink in the estuary usually ends up on the beach," Husein said.

Worn by the sea, the waste looks different from its original appearance. Glass is no longer sharp and shiny; it has a more matte finish and has rounded edges like flat stones.

As the wet season fast approaches, Husein and his workers prepare to go hunting.

"I also use deadwood from the Mita. This species of tree often grows in the fields of Lombok. Usually if I hear about a dead tree, I approach the owner and buy it. I don't use just any kind of wood, as I am afraid it may be the result of illegal logging," he said.

Husein said Mita wood is unique; it gets worn out in the middle and forms a certain texture which often gives him inspiration for his pieces.

He said he uses waste materials strewn along the beach because he wants to help conserve the environment.

"It is like the metamorphosis of a butterfly. The caterpillar which makes you feel unpleasant upon seeing it until transforms into a colorful, beautiful butterfly. For me, it's an art process," he said.

As is the process of his own experiences. Born in Lombok on July 31, 1959, he attended the Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta, majoring in graphic art. He dropped out in 1985 and returned to Lombok where he tried to work in the graphic arts industry.

But he found it difficult to develop the art there due to a lack of materials.

"It is hard to get the paper ... which must be ordered from Padalarang (West Java). The paints were also hard to find and expensive," he said.

This situation, coupled with economic hardship, made Husein think hard about his future and that of his young family.

"Once, in 1989, I joined my children looking for shells during low tide. I saw so many unique pieces of broken glass and I collected and took them home. And then I began to think of ways to make this waste valuable," he said.

He began making collages and sold them at Senggigi beach, a popular tourist destination. In 1991, his work had become quite popular and drew the interest of both local and foreign tourists.

He even sold some pieces for between Rp 15 million (US$1,360) and Rp 65 million ($5,900).

"I got an order from a tourist from Germany who wanted to buy my painting at a high price because of the horseshoes I had used. He said that horseshoes were the symbol of good luck."

Husein, a father of five, now chooses sea life as the theme of his paintings because, he said, sea life was "honest".

Twelve of Husein's paintings are currently on display at the Ziderzin Gallery in the Netherlands, said his assistant, Anna.

"Most of his customers comment that his works are really special, not only because of the themes but because of the materials he uses," Anna said.

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