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Rare artworks to go under hammer at Larasati Bali auction
The upcoming Larasati Bali auction of artworks is seen as a good opportunity for beginning collectors, mid-level collectors and people with a view to invest and will attract much attention from connoisseurs of Balinese painting.
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Lot 716: 'Suasana Pasar Bali' (2006) by I Gusti Agung Wiranata (Courtesy of Larasati/File)
T
he most exciting selection of traditional, modern and contemporary artworks for more than a year highlight the second Larasati Bali auction for 2019. Ninety-two items will be offered on July 20 at the Larasati Traditional, Modern & Contemporary Art Auction to be held at the Larasati Bali Art Space at Tebesaya Gallery, Ubud. The event is a good opportunity for those interested in starting a collection, mid-level collectors or people with an eye for investing, and of course it will attract much attention from connoisseurs of Balinese painting.
Many distinguished Balinese and international artists are featured in the auction, which boasts some unique paintings that are rarely available in the market. The sale, which begins on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., includes Balinese masters Ida Bagus Made Poleng, Ida Bagus Made Nadera, Ida Bagus Rai, Wayan Gedot, Anak Agung Gde Meregeg and Ida Bagus Made Togog, while a rare set of 16 drawings from the personal sketchbook of the renowned Ida Bagus Nyoman Rai (1915-2000) from Sanur is also on offer.
The local and international works feature an array of media, including sketch in ink and chalk on paper, watercolor, gouache works on paper, acrylic and oil on canvas, as well as mixed media, etching, lithographs and lithograph reproductions.
The sale begins with "Indo European Painters of Bali", a selection of nine works by Willem Gerard Hofker (1902-1981, the Netherlands), Miguel Covarrubias (1904 – 1957, Mexico) and Rudolf Bonnet (1895 - 1978, the Netherlands). Lot 705 Rice Granary, Bali, a lithograph by Covarrubias, is expected to fetch between Rp 12 million (US$85317) and Rp 17 million. Lot 707 Yogi (1973) by Bonnet is a remarkable watercolor work estimated at Rp 30 million to Rp 40 million, while Lot 709, a rare oil on canvas by Hofker, A Self Portrait of the Artist (1961), is estimated at Rp 45 million to Rp 55 million.
For those wishing to begin collecting Balinese art, there are good, well-priced opportunities available. Lot 745 Pementasan Calonarang is an early work by one of the senior and most respected painters of the Yong Artists Style, I Ketut Soki (born in 1946 in Penestanan, Ubud). With the distinct, dynamic coloration that defines the genre, this work has an estimated price of Rp 7 million to Rp 10 million. Another attractive buy, an early work by senior painter I Made Sinteg of the same style, is Lot 746 Forest Scene, estimated at Rp 5 million to Rp 7 million.
Lot 728 Berburu by I Ketut Regig (Ubud, 1919-2002) has an estimated price of Rp 5 million to Rp 7 million, Mythological Scene, Lot 791 by I Gusti Nyoman Moleh (1918 - 1997), is expected to fetch between Rp 7 million and Rp 10 million, and Lot 729 Ikan-ikan, a small acrylic work by I Made Sukada (Ubud, 1945 – 1982) is seen at Rp 2.6 million to Rp 3.6 million.
Collecting with a view to invest? The following lots provide strong investment opportunities, especially if purchased within the estimated price ranges and matched with a long-term view of holding for at least 10 years before reselling. I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniashi (1966-2006) is arguably Indonesia’s most important female artist and has been recently featured in many exhibitions at high-profile Indonesian galleries.
Lot 786, Saya Bahagia Sekali di Hari Itu, has an estimated price of Rp 15 million to Rp 18 million, as does Lot 787, Antar Benci dan Rindu dan Tahan Malu Penyayang, 1999. Both are good buys from the artist whose work is destined to appreciate in value. An unusually strong color composition by influential Dutch painter Arie Smit (1916-2016), who spent most of his life in Indonesia, Lot 747, Passing the Shrines, 2010, has an estimated price of Rp 27 million to Rp 35 million, and finally Lot 739, Tualen by the colorful Italian-Filipino maestro Antonio Blanco (1911-1999), is a gouache on paperwork with an estimated price of Rp 4 million to Rp 5 million. All are deemed good investment opportunities.
For connoisseurs, there are many paintings to choose from, and here are but a few of the highlights. Ramayana Scene, Lot 723, is an early work of watercolor and ink on paper by I Made Sukada (Ubud, 1945 - 1982) that comes with an estimated price of Rp 25 million to Rp 35 million.
Ganesha Bertapa, Lot 725, is a beautiful, early ink and watercolor on paper by Wayan Radjin (Batuan, 1945-2010) and has an estimated price of between Rp 20 million to Rp 30 million. Lot 748 Bali Life by Ida Bagus Nyoman Rai (1915-2000), is the set of 16 ink on paper drawings measuring 34 x 24 centimeters that is seen at Rp 70 million to Rp 90 million.
Read also: Preview highlights of Larasati Art auction on May 12
Ida Bagus Made Poleng (Tebesaya, Ubud, 1915-1999) is one of the most highly prized Balinese painters, and his two works on offer will attract much attention. Lot 753, Woman with Offering at the Sawah Scene, is estimated at Rp 350 million to Rp 450 million and comes with strong provenance. Lot 751, Cremation Ceremony, ca. 1940s, a 51 x 37 cm ink wash on paper, which was exhibited at the Herbert Johnson Museum at Cornell University, United States, in 2001, has an estimated price of Rp 100 million to Rp 130 million.
Other works of note are Lot 769 by Ida Bagus Made Nadera (1910-1998) of Batuan. Lot 777 is an early painting by one of the pioneers of Balinese modern painting, Nyoman Gunarsa (1944-2017), while Lots 783 and 784 are rare early works by Ketut Teja Astawa (born in Denpasar in 1970) that were previously in the collection of a Dutch museum. Lot 764, Tari Kecak, by I Nyoman Kayun (born in Ubud in 1954), is a stunning work featuring all the drama and action of the Kecak dance. Lot 716, Suasana Pasar di Bali (2006) by I Gusti Agung Wiranata (born 1969), is also a delightful and rare masterpiece, a composition inspired by Walter Spies that has an estimated price of Rp 60 million to Rp 80 million. Other well-known artists included in the sale are I Gusti Made Deblog, I Wayan Djudjul, Dewa Nyoman Jati, Sewa Putu Mokoh, I Made Wianta and I Ketut Pande Taman.
Potential buyers bidding over the phone, absentee bidders or real-time internet bidders who are unable to attend the preview days or auction are advised to contact Larasati and enquire about the color reproduction accuracy of the images contained within the online catalog to ensure that what they wish to purchase can be realistically appraised. The absence of reference to the condition of a lot in the catalog description does not imply that the lot is free from faults or imperfections, therefore condition reports of a work, outlining the painting's current state and whether it has repairs or overpainting, are available upon request.
Provenance, the historical data of a work’s previous owner/s, is also important and is provided. An information guide including details from before the auction, during the auction and after the auction, including the conditions of the bidding process, payment, storage, insurance and shipping, is also available. A buyer's premium is payable by the buyer of each lot at a rate of 22 percent of the hammer price of the lot.
Open to the public at the Larasati Art Space, the auction starts on July 20 at 2:30 p.m., while viewing begins on July 18 at 11 a.m. The online catalog, complete with a guide for prospective buyers, is available at www.larasati.com (wng)
Viewing:
July 18 at 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
July 19 at 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
July 20 at 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Auction: July 20, starting at 2:30 p.m.
