Known widely as ‘A Great Modern Indonesian Painter’, Gunawan’s talents are recognized widely, even by President Soekarno himself. He was allowed a studio in the Kebon Waru prison, where he taught painting to his fellow inmates. Upon his release in 1978, Gunawan moved to Bali where it was relaxing and inexpensive, since life for a political offender was just as tough even outside of prison. The artist, when residing in Bali, especially enjoyed the subject matter of the everyday activities of the local women. His subjects were mainly farmer’s wives and peasant women depicted doing their local marketing, nursing their children or resting by the beach. Gunawan celebrates the beauty of the female form, representing it in organic curves that often morphs and blends into the idyllic backdrop.
Hendra Gunawan’s painting titles are often self-explanatory, as demonstrated in the present lot, which directly translates to ‘Crab Seller’. Penjual Kepiting, depicts Gunawan’s most popular subject of Balinese women in their rural environment. This painting is a combination of the few elements that Gunawan was so fond of,
the motherly peasant women with her child at the seaside market, presented against the simplified, surreal backdrop of the sea. The subjects was painted in the vivid hues that Gunawan came to be renowned for, with bright reds and yellows on the subject’s garments, and muted greens used for their faces. Incorporated in his signature style was that of the wayang, with the use of flat colors and little attention given to spatial depth. The leisurely activity represented in the painting reflects the appreciation that Gunawan held for the carefree life he had in Bali.