[Andrea Evans]

Hi Abdi,

Thank you very much for the opportunity to see your work. I looked on the member roster and read the other critiques about the painting of your grandfather to find out a little bit more about your background, education and interests.

Is your work painted for just Indonesia or for a worldwide audience? You stated your aim was to paint a portrait as realistically as possible. "Realistic" has many interpretations. The critiques I read were based on painting a representation of a three-dimensional subject placed in a three-dimensional world.

We members of the forum are for the most part educated in the United States and our art is influenced by our Western European tradition. Like Cynthia, I want to learn about the history of other countries and cultures such as Indonesia and its art tradition, i.e., the indigenous population, influences of outside cultures, religious beliefs, history of portrait painting, current art market, etc. Perhaps you could inform us about Indonesia so that we could critique your work better. What are the best websites to visit regarding Indonesia?

Cross-pollination of ideas has produced wonderful works of art. On the portrait of the young woman, you said there was "impressionism" on the headdress. I think about Edgar Degas' work. He was a Western European impressionist who was influenced by Japanese art. Many of the late 19th century European artists, including Whistler, were influenced by the Oriental approach to picture making with two-dimensional arrangements of shapes on the picture plane. Your work also reminds me of Gustav Klimt's and the decorative qualities of Art Nouveau. I see symbolism in your work as well.
Another observation about the portrait of the woman is that she reminds me of the young women in New Orleans who are presented at Mardi Gras balls with their beautiful elaborate costumes. Please share more of your work and thoughts with us.