‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 3 – Winston van der Bok
De Dragers van het Beeld, in English: The Carriers of the Image, is an art exhibition that was held in the foyer of Theatre Thalia, from April 28 until May 7, 2017. It was part of the celebration of 180 years Theatre Thalia. Eight visual artists worked with the theme of death, and more: resurrection from death, new life …
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi wrote a series of columns that we will be sharing on the SAX-blog. Today part 3, a text that accompanied the art work of Winston van der Bok. Please find the Dutch text under the English translation.
On the right: Winston van der Bok, ‘Transformation – Siwalapa (war club) motifs’, acrylic on wood, 2017 – USD 300 a piece / PHOTO Ada Korbee
Nicole Smythe-Johnson, curator from Jamaica and EdKe, Surinamese visual artist, discussing the exhibition On the right: Winston van der Bok, ‘Transformation – Siwalapa (war club) motifs’, acrylic on wood, 2017 – USD 300 a piece / PHOTO Ada Korbee
Winston van der Bok and the theme ‘transformation’
Transformation is a concept that characterizes the life of Winston van der Bok.
If you ask Winston why he chose the theme ‘transformation’, he says: ‘Thalia is 180 years old and it’s no longer as it was 180 years ago. It has been through several transformations and will go through yet another transformation again.’
‘Transformation is what I focus on in the arts. I am indigenous and want breathe new life into old traditions. The indigenous tribes all over the world have been pushed aside. I want to raise awareness for the valuable old cultures of the Indigenous. It is my calling to transform that which has always lived, and still lives, within my deepest being into a contemporary art form.’
When Winston talks about his life, it becomes clear that his whole life is made up of transformations. True to his native character, Winston does not adhere to a numeric year count and essentially lives a timeless existence. He looks at his life as a labyrinth of roads that he has traveled. There is no real beginning, and every end is a new beginning.
Winston was born in 1947 in a very small village on the Cottica River, as third child in a family of seven children. Straight from his mother’s hammock, the young baby was given to two strangers who wanted the little baby very badly. His parents were convinced that the foreigners would be able to provide their child with a better future.
Winston grew up in the USA, where two strict, but fantastic foster mothers raised him, until he was about fifteen years old. Around his fifteenth birthday he was suddenly sent back to Suriname. He would ride on the Cottica River in a canoe with his father, surrounded by a muttering of languages he did not understand. Upon arriving back in his village, his mother knelt at his feet. She inspected his left ankle, saw the birthmark, and knew that her son had returned.
Winston moved to Paramaribo and married a beautiful city creole woman. Together they had two sons. His wife passed away at a young age. His sons were nine and six years old. For many years there was no woman in Winston’s life and he raised his sons all by himself.
Winston studied at the Surinaamse Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten (SABK) [Surinamese Academy for Visual Arts] and worked, for many years, in visual communications, graphic design and product marketing for businesses. He also became a graphic design teacher at the AHKCO.
He became ill. It was an acute pancreatitis that was not diagnosed as such initially. He came face to face with death. It was beautiful. A pleasant journey without barriers, straight through everything.
A successful operation brought him back into the world of the living. His son fed him like a baby and his girlfriend came from the Netherlands to take care of him. From that point on a new life had begun. A new transformation had taken place.
Characters, patterns and symbols similar to those you might see on petroglyphs, the traditional weaving and pottery of the Indigenous, are important elements in the art of Winston. Remarkable is the appearance of movements without a beginning and without an end in his work.
TEXT Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, 2017
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi is a female visual artist from Suriname. She works and lives in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. Kit-Ling studied visual art in Suriname and in the Netherlands. In 2005 Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi added the short video-film as a medium to her artwork. Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi makes paintings and drawings, inspired by the tropical rainforest, and the richness of the diverse cultures in Suriname.
Kit-Ling was the featured visual artist at the 13th International Conference of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars. This conference, The Caribbean, the Land and the People; Women’s Efforts, Women’s Lives, was held in Suriname, in May 2012. Kit-Ling was the recipient of the Bridget Jones Award for 2013.
TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY Ada Korbee & Marieke Visser, 2017
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‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 1 – Introduction
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 2 – Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 3 – Winston van der Bok
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 4 – Razia Barsatie
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 5 – Soeki Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 6 – Dhiradj Ramsamoedj
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 7 – Sri Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 8 – Anand Binda
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 9 – George Struikelblok
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Winston van der Bok en het thema ‘transformatie’
Transformatie is een begrip dat het leven van Winston van der Bok kenmerkt.
Als je Winston vraagt waarom hij heeft gekozen voor het thema ‘transformatie’, zegt hij: ‘Thalia is 180 jaar en is niet meer zoals het 180 jaar geleden was. Het heeft meerdere transformaties meegemaakt en zal ook weer een transformatie ondergaan.’
‘Transformatie is waarmee ik in de kunst bezig ben. Ik ben Inheems en ik wil oude tradities nieuw leven inblazen. Inheemsen zijn overal in de wereld weggedrukt. Ik wil de oude waardevolle cultuur van de Inheemsen onder de aandacht brengen. Het is mijn roeping om wat altijd in mijn diepste wezen heeft geleefd en nog steeds leeft, te transformeren naar een hedendaagse kunstvorm.’
Als Winston over zijn leven vertelt, blijkt zijn gehele leven uit transformaties te bestaan. Eigen aan zijn Inheemse karakter, kent Winston geen jaartallen en leeft in principe een tijdloos bestaan. Zelf ziet hij zijn leven als een labyrint van wegen die hij heeft bewandeld. Er bestaat niet echt een begin en elk einde is een nieuw begin.
Winston werd geboren in 1947 in een heel klein dorp aan de Cotticarivier, als derde kind uit een gezin van zeven kinderen. Als baby werd hij zo vanuit zijn moeders hangmat meegegeven aan twee vreemdelingen, die de kleine baby heel graag wilden. Zijn ouders waren van mening dat de buitenlanders hun kindje een betere toekomst konden geven.
Tot ongeveer zijn vijftiende jaar, groeide Winston op in de USA, streng opgevoed door twee fantastische pleegmoeders. Rond zijn vijftiende werd hij plotseling teruggestuurd naar Suriname. Hij voer met zijn vader in een korjaal op de Cotticarivier en werd omringd door een geroezemoes van talen die hij niet verstond. In zijn geboortedorp aangekomen, knielde zijn moeder aan zijn voeten. Ze inspecteerde zijn linkerenkel, zag de moedervlek en constateerde dat haar zoon was teruggekeerd.
Winston verhuisde naar Paramaribo en trouwde met een prachtige stadscreoolse. Ze kregen twee zoons. Op jonge leeftijd kwam zijn vrouw te overlijden. Zijn zoons waren negen en zes jaar oud. Jarenlang was er geen vrouw in Winston zijn leven en hij voedde zijn zoons helemaal alleen op.
Winston studeerde aan de Surinaamse Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten (SABK) en was jarenlang werkzaam op het gebied van de visuele communicatie, vormgeving en productmarketing voor bedrijven. Hij werd daarnaast ook docent grafische vormgeving op het AHKCO.
Hij werd ziek. Het was een acute alvleesklierontsteking die in de eerste instantie niet als zodanig werd onderkend. Hij heeft de dood gezien. Het was mooi. Een prettige reis zonder barrières dwars door alles heen.
Een goed geslaagde operatie bracht hem terug naar de wereld van de levenden. Zijn zoon voedde hem als een baby en zijn vriendin kwam uit Nederland om voor hem te zorgen. Daarmee is een nieuw leven begonnen. Er heeft een nieuwe transformatie plaatsgevonden.
Tekens, patronen en symbolen zoals je die kunt zien in de rotstekeningen, het vlecht- en aardewerk van de Inheemsen zijn belangrijke elementen in het werk van Winston. Opmerkelijk is de verschijning van bewegingen zonder begin en zonder einde in zijn werk.
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 2 – Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi
De Dragers van het Beeld, in English: The Carriers of the Image, is an art exhibition that was held in the foyer of Theatre Thalia, from April 28 until May 7, 2017. It was part of the celebration of 180 years Theatre Thalia. Eight visual artists worked with the theme of death, and more: resurrection from death, new life …
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi wrote a series of columns that we will be sharing on the SAX-blog. Today part 2, a text that accompanied her art work. Please find the Dutch text under the English translation.
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, ‘Alakondre Phoenix’, 2017 / PHOTO Ada Korbee, 2017
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi and the Alakondre Phoenix
Within the framework of 180 years Theatre Thalia, I, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, chose the phoenix as my subject.
The phoenix
This mythical creature fascinates me for several reasons.
In the first place, because it’s a bird and I have always seen the bird as a free spirit. The soaring bird takes me back to the time when I was a teenager dancing ballet, and I experienced that as the ultimate freedom to express emotions. Secondly, because of the fictional stories that balance somewhere on the edge between reality and fantasy, something I often like to do within the visual arts as well.
Thirdly, because the phoenix is a universal symbol of resurrection and immortality, but also of death and rebirth. As such the phoenix fits seamlessly within the theme we chose for the celebration of 180 years Thalia.
The fourth reason is that it’s a legendary bird that dies through self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice intrigues me because in this world of people who give and take, those who only take, emanate such dominance. Is this group truly that large, or does it only seem so?
And fifth, because such mythical creatures seem to exist in different cultures. The phoenix is often compared to the Chinese Fenghuang and to the Garuda known in India as well as in Indonesia. The phoenix is even compared to the Mexican Quetzalcoatl.
The phoenix is described as a magnificent divine bird with feathers in striking colors and that can sing beautifully. His age ranges from 300 to 100.000 years. At the end of his life he sets himself on fire on a bed of fragrant herbs and from his ashes another phoenix arises.
Sometimes the phoenix is described as a heron, sometimes he has the characteristics of a peacock, and at other times he looks like an eagle.
The Alakondre Phoenix
Born and raised in Suriname, I have, when it comes to the visual arts, been on a quest through cultural diversity and hybridism. Ultimately this has led me to Alakondre. Why is Alakondre more than cultural diversity to me? Cultural diversity essentially involves different people. Alakondre is also within the individual persons.
I have currently defined Alakondre as follows: the adaptation of all cultures, from all countries, by the individual human being and by the various communities that inhabit the world. In order to be able to take Alakondre onto yourself, you have to open yourself up to those other cultures. You have to be curious and must want to learn more about the other cultures. When you embrace the other culture, it becomes a part of you. Because it becomes a part of yourself, you cannot hate it. With Alakondre there will be no more racial discrimination, and even less racial hatred.
My phoenix is an Alakondre Phoenix. It can be an egret, a sabaku. It can be an eagle, a gonini, but it can just as well be a simple small bird, a grietjebie (Great Kiskadee) or a pikan (Squirrel Cuckoo).
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, ‘Alakondre Phoenix’, 2017 / PHOTO Ada Korbee, 2017
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, ‘Alakondre Phoenix’, 2017 / PHOTO Ada Korbee, 2017
TEXT Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, 2017
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi is a female visual artist from Suriname. She works and lives in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. Kit-Ling studied visual art in Suriname and in the Netherlands. In 2005 Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi added the short video-film as a medium to her artwork. Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi makes paintings and drawings, inspired by the tropical rainforest, and the richness of the diverse cultures in Suriname.
Kit-Ling was the featured visual artist at the 13th International Conference of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars. This conference, The Caribbean, the Land and the People; Women’s Efforts, Women’s Lives, was held in Suriname, in May 2012. Kit-Ling was the recipient of the Bridget Jones Award for 2013.
TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY Ada Korbee & Marieke Visser, 2017
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‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 1 – Introduction
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 2 – Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 3 – Winston van der Bok
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 4 – Razia Barsatie
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 5 – Soeki Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 6 – Dhiradj Ramsamoedj
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 7 – Sri Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 8 – Anand Binda
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 9 – George Struikelblok
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Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi en de Alakondre Phoenix
In verband met 180 jaar Thalia koos ik, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, voor het onderwerp ‘Phoenix’ of ‘Feniks’.
De Feniks of Phoenix
Het fabeldier boeit me om verschillende redenen.
Ten eerste omdat het een vogel is en ik heb de vogel altijd als een ‘free spirit’ (vrije geest) gezien. De zwevende vogel brengt me terug naar de tijd toen ik als tiener ballet danste en dat ervoer als summum van vrijheid in het uiten van emoties.
Ten tweede vanwege de gefantaseerde verhalen die balanceren op de rand van werkelijkheid en fantasie, zoals ik ook vaak zelf binnen de beeldende kunst wens te balanceren.
Ten derde omdat de feniks is een universeel symbool van wederopstanding en onsterfelijkheid is maar ook van dood en wedergeboorte. Hierbij sluit de feniks naadloos aan bij het thema dat we voor 180 jaar Thalia uitkozen.
Ten vierde omdat het een legendarische vogel is, die sterft door zelfopoffering. Zelfopoffering intrigeert me, omdat in deze wereld van mensen die geven en nemen, de mensen die alleen maar nemen, zo een dominantie uitstralen. Is die groep werkelijk zo groot of lijkt het maar zo?
Ten vijfde blijkt een soortgelijk fabeldier in verschillende culturen voor te komen. De feniks wordt vaak vergeleken met de Chinese Fenghuang en met de Garuda, die je zowel in India als in Indonesië tegenkomt. De feniks wordt zelfs vergeleken met de Mexicaanse Quetzalcoatl.
De feniks wordt beschreven als een prachtige goddelijke vogel met een vederdracht in schitterende kleuren en die prachtig kan zingen. Zijn leeftijd varieert van 300 tot 100.000 jaar. Aan het einde van zijn leven steekt hij zichzelf in brand op een bed van geurige kruiden en uit zijn as ontstaat een nieuwe feniks.
De ene keer wordt de feniks beschreven als reiger, soms heeft hij karakteristieken van een pauw. Een andere keer lijkt hij op een arend.
De Alakondre Phoenix
Geboren en opgegroeid in Suriname heb ik op het gebied van de beeldende kunst, een speurtocht door culturele diversiteit en hybriditeit gemaakt. Ik ben nu uiteindelijk terechtgekomen bij Alakondre. Waarom is voor mij, Alakondre meer dan culturele diversiteit? Bij culturele diversiteit zijn er in principe meerdere mensen betrokken. Alakondre zit ook in de individuele personen.
Alakondre heb ik nu als volgt gedefinieerd: de adaptatie van alle culturen van alle landen door de individuele mens en door de verschillende leefgemeenschappen die de wereld bevolken. Om in staat te zijn Alakondre tot je te nemen, moet je jezelf openstellen voor die andere culturen. Je moet nieuwsgierig zijn om te weten hoe die andere cultuur in elkaar zit. Als je die andere cultuur in jezelf opneemt, wordt het een onderdeel van jezelf. Omdat het een onderdeel van jezelf is, kan je het niet haten. Met Alakondre zal er dan geen rassendiscriminatie zijn, nog minder rassenhaat.
Mijn Phoenix of Feniks is een Alakondre Phoenix. Het kan een reiger zijn, een sabaku. Het kan een arend zijn, een gonini, maar het kan ook een eenvoudig klein vogeltje zijn, een grietjebie of een pikan.
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 1 – Introduction
De Dragers van het Beeld, in English: The Carriers of the Image, is an art exhibition that was held in the foyer of Theatre Thalia, from April 28 until May 7, 2017. It was part of the celebration of 180 years Theatre Thalia. Eight visual artists worked with the theme of death, and more: resurrection from death, new life …
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi wrote a series of columns that we will be sharing on the SAX-blog. Today part 1. Please find the Dutch text under the English text.
A Sparkling New Life
‘Alakondre [literally meaning: of all countries] is the word that we should use to brand Suriname’, said Alida Neslo. With that statement she found an immediate ally within me. This alliance would be continued, as I became the coordinator for visual arts of a team dedicated to celebrate the 180th anniversary of Theatre Thalia in a fitting way. The celebration of 180 years Thalia should breathe new and sparkling life into the theatre.
The Theme
In many cultures death is seen as the end of one life and the beginning of another new life. As a team dedicated to the celebration of 180 years Thalia, we initially spoke more about death and the way in which different cultures process death. But almost simultaneously, the discussion started to revolve around what happens after death: reincarnation, the afterlife, rebirth, etc. The most dominant question that came up was: How is this interpreted by different people and by different cultures? The theme for the celebration of Thalia 180 years, started to develop from here. Eros, Thanatos and Phoenix were brought forward as points of departure for the theme of the celebration. Eros as life energy, Thanatos as the non-violent peaceful death and the Phoenix as the symbol of eternal life; a cyclical life of passing and rebirth.
Visual Art
The theme was presented to the eight participating visual artists: Razia Barsatie, Anand Binda, Winston van der Bok, Soeki Irodikromo, Sri Irodikromo, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, George Struikelblok and Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi. Each artist was inspired by an entirely different aspect of the theme.
The diverse interpretations of the theme are elaborated upon in various short columns, which will help the public to better understand what the works of art displayed in the celebratory exhibition of Theatre Thalia 180 years are actually about. This visual art exhibition was on display from April 28 until May 7, 2017. In addition to the visual art exhibition there also was a Living Art Show, which was presented within the dance program in the weekend of May 5-7, 2017. It was a collaboration between visual artists and performance artists. The artistic concepts, created by the visual artists, were interpreted and performed by the performance artists. The coordination of the Living Art Show was in the hands of Dweight Warsodikromo.
TEXT Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, 2017
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi is a female visual artist from Suriname. She works and lives in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. Kit-Ling studied visual art in Suriname and in the Netherlands. In 2005 Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi added the short video-film as a medium to her artwork. Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi makes paintings and drawings, inspired by the tropical rainforest, and the richness of the diverse cultures in Suriname.
Kit-Ling was the featured visual artist at the 13th International Conference of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars. This conference, The Caribbean, the Land and the People; Women’s Efforts, Women’s Lives, was held in Suriname, in May 2012. Kit-Ling was the recipient of the Bridget Jones Award for 2013.
TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY Ada Korbee & Marieke Visser, 2017
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‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / ‘The Carriers of the Image’ – 1 – Introduction
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 2 – Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 3 – Winston van der Bok
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 4 – Razia Barsatie
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 5 – Soeki Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 6 – Dhiradj Ramsamoedj
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 7 – Sri Irodikromo
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 8 – Anand Binda
‘De Dragers van het Beeld’ / The Carriers of the Image – 9 – George Struikelblok
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Een sprankelend nieuw leven
‘Alakondre is het woord waarmee we Suriname moeten branden’, zei Alida Neslo en daarmee had ze in mij een bondgenoot gevonden. Dit bondgenootschap zette zich voort door als coördinator van beeldende kunst plaats te nemen in een team dat zich zou inzetten om 180 jaar Theater Thalia op gepaste wijze te vieren. De viering van 180 jaar Thalia moet Thalia weer nieuw en sprankelend leven inblazen.
Het thema
In veel culturen wordt de dood gezien als het einde van een bepaald leven en het begin van een ander nieuw leven. Als team dat zich wilde inzetten voor de viering van 180 jaar Thalia, spraken we eerst meer over de dood en het verwerken van de dood binnen verschillende culturen. Maar bijna simultaan werd er ook gesproken over wat er na de dood gebeurt: de reïncarnatie, het hiernamaals, de wedergeboorte etc. Daarbij werd vooral de vraag gesteld: Hoe wordt dit gezien door verschillende mensen, verschillende culturen? Van daaruit is het thema rond de viering van Thalia 180 jaar zich verder gaan ontwikkelen. Eros, Thanatos en Phoenix (Feniks) werden als uitgangspunten voor het thema binnen de viering van 180 jaar Thalia naar voren geschoven. Eros als levensenergie, Thanatos als de geweldloze zachte dood en de Phoenix als symbool van een eeuwig leven; een cyclisch leven van heengaan en wedergeboorte.
Beeldende kunst
Het thema werd voorgelegd aan de acht (8) deelnemende beeldende kunstenaars, te weten Razia Barsatie, Anand Binda, Winston van der Bok, Soeki Irodikromo, Sri Irodikromo, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, George Struikelblok en Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi. Elke kunstenaar werd geïnspireerd door een geheel andere aspect van het thema.
De diverse interpretaties van het thema zijn in verschillende korte columns uiteen gezet en op deze manier kwam het kunstminnend publiek meer te weten over de inhoud van de kunstwerken die in de feestexpositie van Theater Thalia 180 jaar te zien waren. Deze beeldende kunstexpositie was te zien vanaf 28 april tot en met 7 mei 2017. Naast de beeldende kunstexpositie is er ook een Living Art Show gepresenteerd binnen het dansprogramma in het weekend van 5 tot en met 7 mei 2017. Het betrof een samenwerking tussen beeldende kunstenaars en performance artiesten. De kunstconcepten kwamen van de beeldende kunstenaars, maar werden geïnterpreteerd en uitgevoerd door de performance kunstenaars. De coördinatie van de Living Art Show was in handen van Dweight Warsodikromo.
‘Kumbat’tey’ by John Lie A Fo
What: Kumbat’tey by John Lie A Fo
When: Friday April 7-Saturday April 15, 2017. Opening hours are Monday thru Friday from 08:00am-04:30pm and on Saturday from 08:30am-01:30pm. Extra opening nights on Friday April 7 and Saturday April 8 from 07:00pm-09:00pm. The gallery is closed on Friday April 14.
Where: Readytex Art Gallery (RAG) (also on Facebook), Steenbakkerijstraat 30, Paramaribo, Suriname
John Lie A Fo, Legacy, mixed media on canvas, 124 x 110 cm, 2017 / PHOTO Courtesy Readytex Art Gallery, 2017
Readytex Art Gallery (RAG) is about to present her first large solo exhibition of this year. In the spotlight this time around, is an interesting Surinamese artist who hasn’t had a solo exhibition in Suriname for a long time, 35 years to be exact. A bit surprising, because although he hasn’t lived here for quite some time, the artist as well as his work are undoubtedly proud representatives of Surinamese culture and Surinamese identity. High time therefore, for a special presentation of the engaging work of artist John Lie A Fo here in the country where he was born and where his ‘kumbat’tey’ (umbilical cord) was buried.
With the exhibition Kumbat’tey, Readytex Art Gallery has quite a surprise in store for visitors, especially those that are not yet familiar with the work of Lie A Fo. The explosions of color, the bold imagery and the uncurtailed expressiveness in the work of this artist will hold the attention and fuel the imagination of viewers for quite some time. Visual artist Lie A Fo is driven entirely by his feelings and by his passion for the culture, the traditions and the rituals of his country. He does not restrict himself to one culture, but he proudly considers every culture present in Suriname his own, and that is the essence conveyed throughout his work. Rituals and symbols of the Maroons, the Indigenous, the Javanese and the Chinese are all represented in his current collection. And although the cultural elements are undoubtedly recognizable for the true Surinamese, his work does not contain a literal portrayal of those cultures. His imagery, just like his own personality, is characterized by exuberant, free and unrestrained expression. He is in no way constrained by reality, but gives free reign to his creativity and his imagination, which often results in compositions that incorporate elements that are somewhat playful, surprising and even a bit unexpected. And in addition to culture, the collection also deals with other subjects that Lie A Fo is interested in or concerned with. Birds, free in nature, the disabled children that he works with in French Guyana, the painful subject of the child-slaves in Haiti, in short everything that makes an impression on this warm and passionate artist, will at some time or another find its way into the imagery on his canvas.
The undeniable and universal appeal of the art of Lie A Fo makes a strong impression not only in French Guyana where the artist currently lives and works, but also on visitors at his earlier exhibitions in Europe and the Caribbean. And starting from Friday the 7th of April it will be the Surinamese public that gets to enjoy the new collection of art works that John Lie A Fo presents in his solo exhibition Kumbat’tey at Readytex Art Gallery. The exhibition is on display in the gallery until Saturday the 15th of April. Opening hours are Monday thru Friday from 08:00am-04:30pm and on Saturday from 08:30am-01:30pm. Extra opening nights on Friday April 7 and Saturday April 8 from 07:00pm-09:00pm. The gallery is closed on Friday April 14.
A sneak preview …
‘Round & Around’, Reinier Asmoredjo, Readytex Art Gallery
What: Round & Around, solo exhibition Reinier Asmoredjo
When: Friday November 18 thru Saturday 26, 2016. Opening hours: Monday thru Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm and on Saturday from 8:30am-1:30pm. Extra opening hours in the evenings on Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of November from 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Readytex Art Gallery, Steenbakkerijstraat 30, Paramaribo, Suriname
Reinier Asmoredjo believes that it is important, as a Surinamese artist, to create works with a clear Surinamese identity. That identity has indeed always been front and center in his work. Viewers of Asmoredjo’s work inevitably find themselves almost seduced by the warmth and the energy of the sun, the beauty of the Surinamese flora en fauna and the sensual allure of the Surinamese woman, portrayed so well on his canvasses.
The imagery in the collection is vibrant and colorful, recognizable, but in part also new, abstract, and at the same time also figurative. The familiar elements in the work of Asmoredjo, such as the sun, nature, flowers, fruit, birds, fish, and especially Surinamese women, are again the common thread throughout the work in his new collection. Important therein are the circles, as seen in the shape of the sun and now also as an extra visual detail at the end of the sun’s rays, and very importantly also in the rounded shapes of the female body. They symbolize fertility, the never-ending cycle of life; all the things that make the world turn around: Round & Around.
But in addition to circles, straight linear elements also play an important role in this new collection. Strong profiles with prominent lips, round breasts and derrieres are strengthened in image by elegant long stretched necklines, horizontally extended linear coiffures, and consciously applied lines and stripes. Finding the right balance between the abstract and the figurative is the challenge that Asmoredjo consciously and wholeheartedly takes on every time he sets to work. And he is usually quite successful! This is not really surprising, since each of the artist’s compositions is worked out meticulously in sketch before he even approaches the canvas. Abstract and figurative come together beautifully in a diverse and colorful collection of more than 30 paintings in various sizes. Vitality, beauty, strength and sensuality radiate from his canvasses in a typical and striking way.
Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Morning Breeze’, acrylic on canvas, 47x74cm / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery, 2016
Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Sarong’, acrylic on canvas, 73x100cm / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery, 2016
Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Fon Ksaba’, acrylic on canvas, 100x152cm / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery, 2016
Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Reincarnation’, acrylic on canvas, 100x152cm / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery, 2016
Kurt Nahar participates in ‘Eleven Voices’, Deering Estate, Miami
What: Eleven Voices, curated by Rosie Gordon-Wallace of DVCAI (Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator) (on Facebook) and Kim Yantis (The Deering Estate). Exhibited South African artists include: Nicholas Hlobo, Anton Kannemeyer, Anja Marais, Judith Mason, Claudette Schreuders, and Rowan Smith. Featured local and international artists include: Gerard Caliste, Rondell Crier, Deming King Harriman, Aaron Hill, Carol Jaime, Barry Ledoux, Groana Melendez, Rosa Naday Garmendia, Kurt Nahar, Jose Pacheco Silva, Rontherin Ratliff, Antonious Roberts, and Duhirwe Rushameza.
When: October 8 through November 26,
Where: The Deering Estate, Miami, USA
Eleven Voices is an exhibit that aims to incite a conversation about cultural struggle, memory and identity among contemporary artists. Co-curators Rosie Gordon-Wallace (Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator) and Kim Yantis (The Deering Estate) select works that reflect thematic inspirations from South African art and culture.
Eleven Voices features the works of emerging and renowned South African and international artists, many of which are on special loan from the collections of Diaspora Vibe (DVCAI), the Petra Mason Collection of South African Art, and Kathryn and Dan Mikesell of the Fountainhead Residency and are on view in Miami for the first time.
Exhibited South African artists include: Nicholas Hlobo, Anton Kannemeyer, Anja Marais, Judith Mason, Claudette Schreuders, and Rowan Smith. Featured local and international artists include: Gerard Caliste, Rondell Crier, Deming King Harriman, Aaron Hill, Carol Jaime, Barry Ledoux, Groana Melendez, Rosa Naday Garmendia, Kurt Nahar, Jose Pacheco Silva, Rontherin Ratliff, Antonious Roberts, and Duhirwe Rushameza.
Installed in the Stone House Wine Cellar, “Rituals of Commemoration” by Rosa Naday Garmendia ties into the ‘Eleven Voices’ exhibit theme of cultural struggle, memory and identity by paying tribute to victims of violence from 1972 through the present. Like acclaimed South African photographer Zanele Muholi, Rosa Naday Garmendia considers herself a visual activist with intent to unify a grief-stricken community. “I seek to engage a diverse audience, by highlighting and creating a safe space for the viewer to explore, wonder, be provoked, interpret, or find purpose and meaning in the issues our nation faces.” Rosa Naday Garmendia is a Cuban-American, Miami-based multidisciplinary artist exhibiting with Diaspora Vibe Gallery. Her work was recently featured in the exhibition Intersectionality at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami.
Claudette Schreuders is a South African sculptor whose carved and painted wooden figures reflect the search for an ‘African’ identity in the post-apartheid era. Her sculpture is rooted in both Africa and Europe and she derives her inspiration from traditional Blolo and Colon figures of West Africa, medieval church sculpture, Spanish portraiture, and Egyptian woodcarving. Three lithographs on display in the Stone House second floor are on loan from the Petra Mason Collection of South African Art. Printed in a remotely located Mpumalanga, South Africa studio, Schreuders’ lithographs document her sculptures The Three Sisters. Many works in the Petra Mason Collection are available for sale during this special exhibition.
Doro Nuyken – ‘Listen to my Colors’
What: Solo exhibition Listen to my Colors (Facebook) by Doro Nuyken
When: October 6 thru 8, 2016, 19:00-22:00 hrs
Where: De Hal, Grote Combéweg 45, Paramaribo, +597 472 808, de.hal.dagg@gmail.com, Facebook
In October we can visit Doro’s fourth solo exhibition in De Hal. Among her new work, we can also see paintings from earlier years. This exhibition will include ‘the life behind the art’ and will present a remarkable new dimension in experiencing art.
“Art is always alive.”
‘get together 2’, 120x72cm, acrylic on canvas, 2012 / PHOTO Courtesy artist
‘no title, 70x60cm, mixed media on canvas, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy artist
‘streams of color or mystical blue’, 100x100cm, mixed media on canvas, 2014 (sold) / PHOTO Courtesy artist
‘vivus volare 2’, 90x90cm, mixed media on canvas, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy artist
Doro Nuyken, born 1970 in Germany, moved to Suriname in 2007. Until then Doro lived for a few years in Saudi Arabia, where she took up painting again. Ever since she was a child, Doro loved to draw en paint. After starting with figurative painting she gradually moved to abstract painting. Doro is born in a creative family; both granddads were professional musicians and her mother used to draw really well.
Her first impression of Suriname was full of surprises. Coming from the polished and luxurious Saudi Arabia, Doro experienced the overwhelming nature and the sometimes raw, authentic urbanization in the urban arias. Though not capable of speaking Dutch, Doro was so pleased by the warm welcome of the Surinamese people, who were putting all the efforts of helping her out to navigate through her new environment.
Doro is an autodidact ‘pur sang’. She kept experimenting with her painting, but her work really accelerated after taking a workshop in 2011 with Christiane Middendorf. Very inspired and with growing self-confidence, Doro started to experiment with different techniques and styles. It lead to her first exhibition on the ‘Kunst- en Kijkroute’, organized by ‘Stichting Kokriki’. From that moment on, Doro participated in exhibition 2 to 3 times a year.
Almost everything can inspire Doro. Whether profound happenings in her life or in society, to seemingly very insignificant details in nature. Also little memories of youth, a smell, sound or image can inspire her. While painting Doro gets to a somewhat ‘Zen’-like state that separates her from time, place and even sometimes herself. Doro’s work is identified by different styles and techniques, but throughout her work her unique signature is recognizable. Her favorite material is pure paint and a wide variety of pigments. They can be applied in a beautiful and divers way and thus give a special feeling and effect. Beside the paint and pigments, Doro likes to experiment with raw materials, like concrete, structure paste and ink.
In October we can visit Doro’s fourth solo exhibition in De Hal. Among her new work, we can also see paintings from earlier years. This exhibition will include ‘the life behind the art’ and will present a remarkable new dimension in experiencing art. This of course will not be revealed until the 6th of October.
“Art is always alive.”
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Previous exhibitions
August 2011, Kunst- en Kijkroute, Paramaribo, Suriname
April 2012, first solo exhibition at Fort Zeelandia, Paramaribo, Suriname
November 2012, National Art Fair, Paramaribo, Suriname
March 2013, solo exhibition at Shewa Hotel, Paramaribo, Suriname
August 2013, Carifesta/National Art Fair, Paramaribo, Suriname
May 2014, solo exhibition at De Hal, Paramaribo, Suriname
July 2014, participating in Fiesta del Fuego, Santiago, Cuba, with other artists from Suriname
November 2014, National Art Fair, Paramaribo, Suriname
Colored emotions, new work by Ken Doorson
Ken Doorson, ‘Colonial Mugshot’, acrylic on canvas, 150x100cm, 2015 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
He did extensive research on the subject.
This was allowed to take quite a bit of time. He wanted to know whether he could use kaolin to make sculptures as well; if he could transform the whitish substance into moldable clay. It would then be a natural way for him to incorporate his heritage into his material. Large quantities of kaolin are found underneath the bauxite in his home country Suriname, and a company in his birthplace Moengo markets it in various forms. He could hardly come any closer to his origins.
Ken Doorson is not the only Surinamese artist who wants his heritage to show through in his work. While artists such as Marcel Pinas do this because they are proud of their culture and therefore want that culture to survive, with Ken Doorson it’s a bit more complicated. Fourteen years of his life were spent living abroad, years during which his personality was formed. Upon his return to Suriname he has to once again search for his identity. He feels like a guest in his own country. His work provides him with a viable excuse to start exploring his native culture. In addition to this, he also has an almost innate interest in history and considers it a natural part of his artistry to do extensive research before he transforms his ideas into a work of art.
Ken Doorson, ‘Manumission 2’, mixed media on canvas, 135x85cm, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
Up until now, Doorson’s paintings are life-sized portraits of people who have in one way or another played a role in Surinamese history. Since it is not his aim to make these portraits exact likenesses, it is difficult for the viewer to identify them. However strange that may sound, it is of no consequence to Doorson. To him it is not about glorifying known heroes. Nor does he aim for a courageous portrayal of unsung heroes. To him it is not about the actual people, but about their emotional state at a specific moment in time, a moment that will be of influence to the rest of their lives. That is the emotion that he wants to capture.
Ken Doorson, ‘Colonial Mugshot’, acrylic on canvas, 150x100cm, 2015 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
For that he has his own, wayward method: color. Not the facial expression is decisive, but the colors in which the face has been painted. He puts those often contrasting colors next to each other, or he lets them flow into each other or play with each other, in a surprising way. This creates drama. That drama is further enhanced by the ‘sloppy’ way in which he paints the colors. There is movement to the colors. They appear to be alive.
In a number of his new canvases the color still determines the meaning. Especially ‘Ancestral Mugshot’ (2015) – a work that has the potential to become iconic – is a striking example. The emotion – is it rage? – jumps off of the canvas. The relatively small ‘Male’ (2015) is also exemplary. Still there are a few new paintings – ‘Manumission 1’ (2016) for example – in which he has let go of that principle. On purpose I suspect. While researching the archives related to the history of his home country, he came across the so-called letters of manumission. These are documents that state that a slave has been bought into freedom. He makes photocopies of several and paints the man or the woman named in that document. Since there were no images of these ex-slaves, he paints fictitious figures. The document in question is literally incorporated within the painting: he glues it on and lets it blend into the surrounding paint. Thus he grants the depicted person status. He provides the portrait with a type of red-wax-stamp (this is incidentally how he signs a number of his paintings). Such an official portrayal requires an official style. The formal State-portrait is then a fitting genre. Such a portrait it is not meant to show emotions. This is why these new portraits miss the familiar, expressionistic colorfulness. They are more reserved and closer to the reality than his other portraits. They are smartly dressed, almost too formal.
Ken Doorson, ‘Manumission 1’, mixed media on canvas, 135x80cm, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
Ken Doorson, ‘Manumission 4’, mixed media on canvas, 140x90cm, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
For this exhibition Ken Doorson limits himself to the presentation of paintings. However, he also makes installations. In the future the clay heads, which are still part thereof, will probably have to make way for objects made from kaolin. But whatever medium he chooses, traces of the Surinamese culture will always be found within.
This exhibition of paintings is once again the inspiring evidence thereof.
Ken Doorson, ‘Manumission 3’, mixed media on canvas, 150x100cm, 2016 / PHOTO Courtesy SBK Galerie 23
NOTE This text was previously published in Dutch on the website of Galerie 23, and was translated and re-blogged with permission.
TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, June 2016
Rob Perrée is art historian and works as freelance writer, art critic and curator, specialized in contemporary (Afro-) American art, African art, Surinamese art and art using new media. His work has appeared in countless catalogues, books, magazines and newspapers. He is editor of Sranan Art Xposed, and editor in chief of Africanah.org.
TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2016
Invitation
What: Solo-exhibition Ken Doorson (on Facebook): Know To All Men By These Presents
When: Opening June 26, 2016, 16:00 hrs, by Bart Krieger (on Facebook). June 26-July 31, 2016. Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10:00-18.00 uur / zat & zon 11.00 – 18.00 uur
Where: Galerie 23 on Facebook), KNSM-laan 307-309, 1019 LE Amsterdam, the Netherlands, tel. +31 (0)20 620 13 21
A YouTube-vdeo about Ken Doorson can be found here.
Solo exhibition Isan Corinde – ‘Lolo’
What: Lolo, the sequel to Oso Tori and Avo Sondi, paintings and objects by Isan Corinde (also on Facebook)
When: Opening June 3, 19:00 hrs with a performance Womi by Tolin Alexander, exhibition: June 3, 4 & 5, 19:00-22:00 hrs
Where: Sukru Oso, Cornelis Jongbawstraat 16a, Paramaribo, Suriname
In de Ware Tijd an article was published about Isan’s new show. PHOTOS Stefano Tull
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In 2012 Isan graduated from the Nola Hatterman Art Academy. With his own resources he started a project in Brownsweg, Brokopondo, giving art lessons for school children. This project was ‘Isan ku de mii’ [Isan and the children].
In April 2014 he unveiled an installation in Brokopondo which he had made with the school children: ‘Dii fosu posu futu’.
Isan also participated in the group exhibition Art Boost, with Shaundell Horton, Dakaya Lenz and Jeanet Oord, in Grand Riverside Hotel, Paramaribo, Suriname, May 2013.
Website: http://isancorinde.com
On Sranan Art’s Flickr page there’s a photo report with photos by Edwien Bodjie and Ada Korbee about Avo Sondi.
Isan Corinde and Convey (Dervin Sno) started a video project in 2014: ‘PROJECT: ISAN 014’.
Solo exhibition Isan Corinde: ‘Avo Sondi’
A visitor at ‘Avo Sondi’ / PHOTO Ada Korbee, 2015
Recently, from April 10 thru April 12, 2015, Isan Corinde had a solo exhibition, ‘Avo Sondi’, in Sukru Oso, Cornelis Jongbawstraat 16, Paramaribo, Suriname. His first solo exhibition showed new roads this young artist is exploring, from two-dimensional he is moving to three-dimensional. Many colleague artists expressed their admiration: Rahied Abdoel, Arti Abhelakh, Marcel Pinas, Els Tjong Joe Wai and many others.
Invitation Avo Sondi
Isan Corinde, portrait by Edwien Bodjie / PHOTO Edwien Bodjie
Isan Corinde in ront of one of the owrks from ‘Avo Sondi’ / PHOTO Guillaume Pool, 2015
In 2012 Isan graduated from the Nola Hatterman Art Academy. With his own resources he started a project in Brownsweg, Brokopondo, giving art lessons for school children. This project was ‘Isan ku de mii’ [Isan and the children].
In April 2014 he unveiled an installation in Brokopondo which he had made with the school children: ‘Dii fosu posu futu’.
Isan also participated in the group exhibition Art Boost, with Shaundell Horton, Dakaya Lenz and Jeanet Oord, in Grand Riverside Hotel, Paramaribo, Suriname, May 2013.
Website: http://isancorinde.com
On Sranan Art’s Flickr page there’s a photo report with photos by Edwien Bodjie and Ada Korbee.
Isan Corinde and Convey (Dervin Sno) started a video project in 2014: ‘PROJECT: ISAN 014’.
Sculptural work / PHOTO Edwien Bodjie, 2015
Article in de Ware Tijd about ‘Avo Sondi’
