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about Crossing the Sea of Colours, the biography of Yan Suryana,
leading Indonesian scholar and literary figure W.S. Rendra writes,
“This book about the life and struggle of Yan Suryana should serve as an example
for young people; one that shows how a young man from a low-income background was
able to lift himself to success by virtue of his focused devotion to his dreams,
through his singular persistence and hard work, through always remaining steadfast
and by discarding any laziness; facing the ordeals of poverty with great courage
and determination, and always remaining aware of the necessities of life whilst
being bent on his objectives! All of this applies to a realistic attitude that
need always accompany the pursuit of an ideal.”
Andrea
Tengg, Berlin, Germany:
Yan’s paintings have
accompanied me since 2003, with their radiant colours and the Balinese subjects
they keep on bringing the warmth, the colours, the peace and the atmosphere of
Bali into my life.
I particularly like the
painting of the women with the fish on the beach because it reminds me of Nusa
Lembongan, the island where my children, my husband and I spent a few months.
Best wishes
Your Andrea
Roswitha
Kucera, New York:
Yan’s
painting conveys beauty, tranquility and a longing or far-away
places.
No words can do it
justice only the feeling one gets from absorbing the scene of togetherness.
Carolyn
Chapman,
a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat, has
commented that Suryana’s works “take their inspiration from Bali’s near heavenly
environment”.
She comments also that the works show Suryana’s respect and admiration for
Balinese people, whom he depicts in an intimate and loving way.
The people who “wear their brightly patterned costumes proudly and passionately”
are the “real focal points of his paintings”.
Suryana’s
bold, tropical colors are his trademark but he presents Balinese people with great
sensitivity and accuracy — “women with long, flowing black hair and men with
peaceful, soulful, intelligent looks that people who live in small villages often
possess”.
All of Suryana’s works, show people in close physical proximity — holding or
affectionately touching each other, gazing lovingly or reaching out toward one
another. Again a faithful depiction of the high degree of attentiveness that
Balinese people pay to each other and an indicator of the high importance of the
group as the basic unit in Balinese society.
The closeness of people in Suryana’s paintings stands out almost as strongly as
the brightly colored, uniquely patterned clothing, exotic headdresses and paradise
settings. While his canvasses burst with vibrant pinks, yellows, oranges, blues
and greens, clearly it is the people who are the most important element for
Suryana.
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