ART IN LOMBOK

THE HIDDEN TREASURE IN LOMBOK ISLAND

Ocean is a mystery.

Approximately 70% of earth consist of ocean and many part of it not yet been seen trough, many secrets not yet been revealed from its depth, such as its flora and fauna, as well as minerals and all the complexities hide in it. In long history of human life, ocean is more than a place where fishes is alive, it has been tended with loving care by those who puts their living on it, and in turn it has becomes a heaven for a myriad of leaving creatures. Ocean is the life it self. Penetrated into human life.

Ocean is an inspiration with no boundaries, a great poetry, and a beauty higher than its own shadow. So was said Husin Nanang who born and grew up in the middle of an old city harbor in a small island surrounded by the sea. His life could not be detached from ocean. It has becomes his life. He was born in Kampung Melayu, Ampenan, Lombok Island, an island between the long lines of Nusa Tenggara. For him, ocean is not anymore a fiction in distance away from his life. Every day, every moment he heals the salty air of its air along with his true life story. Scattered bivalves on the beach, the carpet of sands, the dashing waves, the horizon line separated the blue sea and the sky, the ships that come and go, the crowd of loading and unloading activities, adventures story and the seaman ancient melancholy, the fierce weather, storm, foundered ships, unsheltered century, the fisherman misery, dirty and dense houses, the inhabitants melodrama... all those are very well recorded in his visual percep-tion.

It is true, there is a large number of pinters inspired by their closest environment. Therefore, it gives a deeper meaning, that way, the artist is not demanded to walk away and feel as stranger from the life he is familiar with. But if we take a deep look at his work, there is another stabbing call and need to be uncovered immediately. It is not a mere sight of beautifulness from the visual image of the master piece. It is a living poetry transformed in to a very closeness. He is not simply painting or story telling. He paints the life in his work. Taking along his appreciant deep down in to the earth with no edge.

Observing the master pieces with its details. He paints unlike the other painters who paint on canvas, otherwise he paints on high quality of wood to replace canvas and frames. He collected all the things he could found on the sea shore, bivalves, sea shells, broken glasses, old broken ceramics aged of hundreds years, fish bones, sea horses, he put them all in to a collage as a unity of his work.

Those items do not stick on the wood as a mere decoration. They are part of the story, of a deep description he tries to emerge. As the history becomes old by the time, he puts them back in to their new sense. He stated “Most of people collecting rare goods aged of hundreds years such as Porcelain from China, ancient inscription etc, as if they were the master of the history. But they forget they are ignorance towards those that scattered. Let me collect them and read what is for the rest of people are worthless. This way, maybe, I or other people that look at my work will be able to find what is visible or unnoticed by other people.

That is the simplicity of Husin Nanang. It also could be clearly seen trough his work. Not complicated, simple, with less word. The theme in his work is quite simple but need a high perseverance, a great know-how, and a sharp observation during the whole process. The colors and the scratches he made leave such a deep impression as he wants. A deep structure emerges to the surface. He for instance, fond to paint fishes. This has becomes a powerful analogy for the message he is trying to expose trough his work.

Let's have a look at some of his work. Pogot (2006) is a fish lives in coral. It is not a decorative fish. It has an ugly shape. The fishermen usually catch those using spears; eat them as complement for bekibung serving (Tuak drinking ceremony, Lombok traditional drink contains high alcohol). Or Langoan Head (2006), sea Arwana which is started to disappeared. He meant to expose only the head of the fish, to give more pressure on the expression. His third master piece, Two Sides Conversation (Percakapan Dua Sisi, 2006), describing a dialog between a deep ocean fish (in his visual performance using shadow technique) with a shallow sea fish which is visually more attractive. This is an appropriate metaphor to describe two different sides that sometimes come into confrontation, tough they look living in harmony from distance. This kind of phenomenon is common in our daily life.

But he neither lecturing his appresiant. He sometimes presents some kind of satire. In Seven Jellyfish ( 2006) for example, a beautiful floating creatures in the water. He narrated one day he found fishermen pulling his net to the coast. The net was just so heavy that it has to be pulled by 30 people. As it gets to the beach, how disappointed they were, because with the hard work all they got were jellyfish. He also paints seven jellyfish in purpose as a symbol of victory.

As a human being, he sometimes inserts a melancholy of his own personal isolation in the middle of life change and paradox. In his work, Boyan (2005), a tiny and grace baliness traditional sampan look like marlyn fish. He paints them separately. One is in the sea, and the rest three broken heaped up at the beach. In the middle of life dazzling waves, he feels as if he were all alone, lonely and far from no where. Then, he remembers a lyric of an old popular pop song, 'You are men, you will be alone'.

Ocean it is keeps its own secrets. He might be so calm in time, as tempting as shown in one of his work; something Doze in My Passion (2006). Like jazz, pounding in an unsure plot, full of improvisation. Or a grieve shrieking voice in Simfoni yang Membatu (Petrify Symphony, 2006), a picture of a violin made of shell's top. He, once again stressing a diorama about wound and pain. Isn't it that intact in human's life?

He made a sharp observation on the sea life. Sea Horse, a symbol of the most famous oil company in Indonesia. Not many people know that sea horse is a faithful creature. A sea horse will not re copulate if his mate dies. He prefers to live celibately. That might be the answer of their extinction. There, he adhere a real sea horse between two another big sea horses colored red and green. Represent the meaning of loyalty (green) and courage (red). It is contrast compare to Pusaran Nasib (The Cycle of Destiny, 2006), an endless circle, Misterium and Tremendum, throw a longing of humanity towards the depth of certainty, or a peak of glory. That life is so much relative, and therefore need a strong faith to go trough. And Husin Nanang trough his works, as if giving us a provision, for the entire human being, to read and understood, what is seen or abandon.

Less than a half of his works are truly personal. This makes them as something so unique, original and something very special from him. To my mind, trough persistence and hard work, he will get much more than what he is able to. He will be able to rise his works, artistcs expression trough paintings to an exceptional high level. None of art works in this world alike his works, both from artistic sides, depth meaning or material experiment.

Lombok Island so far known as a heaven on earth for tourist. For its natural beauty, strong character of its culture, and the living mystery inside. Husin Nanang work is one of the uncovered hidden treasures. Sooner or later, hard work of The Maestro will be widely known, easily noticed. He has come to bring new beauty to the world.[]

Paox Iben, the writer is an independent currator

The Director of KANAYAN ART HOUSE,

an art community in the island of Lombok.