The works of impressionist maestro Affandi are a sight to behold.

During the recent Art Stage Jakarta event in South Jakarta, many were awed by a solo exhibition of the late painter's works, curated by the event's founder and president, Lorenzo Rudolf.

Titled "Affandi - The Human Face", the exhibition consisted of 17 masterpieces never seen before, as they are part of a private collection. Showing Affandi in an intimate way, the exhibition is divided into two parts: Daily Life and Self-Portraits. The former reveals the painter's unique vision of the world, while the latter consists of various self-portraits from different periods of his life.

If we look closer, the influence of Vincent van Gogh is clear, especially in the visceral approach to painting common to both artists. 

(Read also: Marvel at contemporary art this weekend at Art Stage Jakarta)

“Modern art in South Asia came from the academies where they were taught and learned about Western art history, but these artists began to adapt and to develop themselves starting from that," Rudolf told The Jakarta Post.

He recounted that Affandi had one day been unable to find his brushes, and so had begun to paint using only the paint tubes and his hands, finding a means of expression with the most intimate way of interacting with the canvas.

“Great art is finding a unique way of expressing itself, a trace mark you recognize because it has its own identity," Rudolf said. (tif/kes)

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