We had just finished talking about the end of the Mayan calendar, which some people believe will bring incredible change to our lives on earth. My friend pointed at the unmistakable similarities between Alit’s painting and this conversation, saying “perhaps such will be the situation”.

Filling entire canvasses with what seems like worlds of chaos, Alit paints throngs of interwoven figures in a grueling bottomless cosmos from which there is no escape route.

One might feel a chill down the spine when looking at his paintings from a distance, as the canvasses
appear to be filled with worms. Upon closer inspection, however, one will see these worms morph
into tiny figures “performing” in the air.  

Mostly c-monochrome, some of his paintings do have color, sometimes evoking a sense of flash, a possible meteor or something like it. Yet everything is “hanging” in the air, with no ground to stand on.

It is generally suggested Alit had indeed been describing the life and times in which he was living. The touch of absurdity and antiquity that mark his paintings denote his cultural background in which the stories of Mahabharata must have played a significant role.

The raucous greed and crushing battles are not unlike the battles of Bharata Yudha. Indeed, Alit clearly hints at this in the titles of some of his paintings.

A graduate from the Indonesia Institute of Arts Yogyakarta, the hearing-impaired artist spoke little, worked hard and kept a diary in which he used to write everything that others would express in the spoken word.

Hocky Tan, supposedly the first to collect Alit’s paintings, remembers how the artist’s work had struck him because it was so different from what his peers were creating at the time. In those days, he recalls, he used to frequent places where young painters in Yogyakarta lived, some in dire circumstances.

Hocky says that while he purchased paintings from many young artists — mainly to help them  to earn some cash and find better living quarters — he had always thought of Ali Sembodo as a talented young painter. Alit proved him right. The artist who was born in1973 obtained various awards before he ended his life in 2003.

This show, which comprises works owned by collectors, is organized by Umah Seni Jakarta and curated by Hendro Wiyanto.

Regrettably, the show will only run until March 1,  which is really too short for an artist of this caliber.

Sirkus Politik Jagad Purba
In memory of Alit Sembodo

Until March 1
National Gallery, Jakarta
Jl. Medan Merdekan Timur 14
Jakarta Pusat
Contacts: umahseni@Menteng Art Space
Phones +6221 3920452, +6281382467418 (Putri)

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