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Semarang's Old City adored by sketch artists
Sketchers paradise: The Immanuel Western Indonesia Protestant Church, or Blenduk Church, in Semarang, Central Java, has a unique architectural design, attractive to sketch artists from the city and other areas across Indonesia
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Sketchers paradise: The Immanuel Western Indonesia Protestant Church, or Blenduk Church, in Semarang, Central Java, has a unique architectural design, attractive to sketch artists from the city and other areas across Indonesia. (thejakartapost.com/Elly Burhaini Faizal) (thejakartapost.com/Elly Burhaini Faizal)
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span class="inline inline-center">Sketchers paradise: The Immanuel Western Indonesia Protestant Church, or Blenduk Church, in Semarang, Central Java, has a unique architectural design, attractive to sketch artists from the city and other areas across Indonesia. (thejakartapost.com/Elly Burhaini Faizal)
Old buildings in Semarang's Kota Lama (old city) have caught the attention of many artists, who love making sketches of charming historical architecture.
Offering various designs from various eras, old buildings in Semarang are very attractive to sketch artists from across Indonesia. Compared to other cities in the country, Semarang has a particularly rich architectural legacy.
'I have traveled to several cities, starting from Semarang, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and even Singapore. I consider the Old City in Semarang to still be the most attractive place for making sketches. It is rich with old buildings with various architectural designs and many of the buildings are still in good condition,' Soegijapranata Catholic University School of Architecture graduate Yudi Mahaswanto told thejakartapost.com in Semarang on Sunday.
He made the statement as he sketched the Immanuel Western Indonesia Protestant Church, also known as the Immanuel Church or Blenduk Church, and several buildings nearby, along Jl. Letjen Soeprapto in Semarang, Central Java.
Yudi explained several factors that made old buildings in Semarang more attractive than those in Surabaya, for instance. 'Surabaya has various attractive old buildings for us to sketch. However, many of [them] are located in places already crowded with modern buildings. It's different in Semarang's Old City. It's a homogenous area filled with old buildings. Every part of the area offers a chance to find an interesting object for a sketch,' said Yudi.
Every Sunday, or during holidays, sketch artists come to Semarang's Old City to sketch old buildings in the area. Bringing various sketching and drawing equipment, the artists strive to get best spot, where they can find unique and interesting angles from which to view the buildings.
'In Semarang, there are many sketchers. However, only around 15 sketchers are active, with vast experience. They have participated actively in various sketching events,' said Hari Suryo, a senior sketcher from Semarang.
Yudi and Hari are among the sketch artists who will participate in an international sketch event, the 2016 International Semarang Sketchwalk (ISSW). This event is part of the Semarang Sketchwalk, an event that has been held every third Sunday since July this year.
'Semarang sketchers have been preparing for the ISSW since August 2014,' said Tatas Sehono, a Semarang sketcher.
Sketch artists from areas across Indonesia and abroad will be invited to participate in the event, which is set to take place from Aug. 26 to 27 next year. The kick-off ceremony of the 2016 ISSW will be held in Semarang's Old City and the closing ceremony will take place at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java. The event is aimed at encouraging all members of society to participate more actively in art, especially sketch art, and to have a greater awareness of development activities in their respective cities. (ebf)(+)
