In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Untitled I’, mixed media on paper, 57 cm wide x 38 cm high, 2013, from Kenneth Flijders.

Kenneth Flijders, ‘Untitled I’, mixed media on paper, 57 cm wide x 38 cm high, 2013 – USD 300 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, September, 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2014

Want to see this and other work of Kenneth Flijders ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Kenneth Flijders please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/kennethflijders.

More work by Kenneth Flijders available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Kenneth Flijders, ‘Untitled 2′, mixed media on paper, 50 cm wide x 42 cm high, 2013 – USD 300 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

From a series of three: Kenneth Flijders, ‘Every day a drop creates us 3′, mixed media on paper, 100 cm wide x 80 cm high, 2013 – USD 350 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kenneth Flijders, ‘Untitled V’, screenprint, 63 cm wide x 46 cm high, 2010 – USD 225 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kenneth Flijders, ‘Untitled 5′, mixed media on paper, 27.5 cm wide x 34.5 cm high, 2012 – USD 200 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kenneth Flijders, ‘Mamio I’, acryl on canvas, 143 cm wide x 140 cm high, 2013 – USD 1200 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kenneth Flijders, ‘I shall call you Adam’, mixed media on hardboard, 55 cm wide x 125 cm high x 2.5 cm deep, 2011 – USD 750 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kenneth Flijders ‘Brokopondo’ work was chosen as a design for one of the art wraps, a unique product from the Readytex Art Gallery, 180x100cm, 100% cotton / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on October 8, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on October 8, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

What: L.A.V.A.G. at L’Encadrier: Made in Surinam. Discover the works of Surinamese artists in an atmosphere of colors: Rinaldo Klas,  Kenneth Flijders, George Struikelblok, Wilgo Vijfhoven, Sri Irodikromo, Reinier Asmoredjo and Dhiradj Ramsamoedj. All artists are core artists affiliated with Readytex Art Gallery.

When: October 17-November 22, 2014. Vernissage: October 17, 2014, 19:00 hrs. Opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 18:00-20:00 hrs, Friday and Saturday from 18:00-21:00 hrs. Saturday October 18, the day after the opening: from 10:00-13:00 hrs

Where: L.A.V.A.G. (L’Encadrier), 70, rue Léopold Heder, Cayenne, La Guyane Française

Poster

In 2010 Readytex Art Gallery and Galerie L’Encadrier in Cayenne, La Guyane Française, started a pleasant cooperation which would create wonderful opportunities for artists working with Readytex Art Gallery. Since then several partner artists of Readytex Art Gallery in Paramaribo have been invited yearly, to exhibit their work at Galerie L’Encadrier. Here a report from 2011, from DevSur.

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘I Sculpure Paramaribo II’ and ‘I Sculpture Paramaribo VI’, acryl on canvas, 114 cm wide x 80 cm high, 2014, from Dhiradj Ramsamoedj.

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘I Sculpture Paramaribo II’, acryl on canvas, 114x80cm, 2014 – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘I Sculpture Paramaribo VI’, acryl on canvas, 114x80cm, 2014 – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

He has been talking about it for years. Dhiradj Ramsamoedj (Paramaribo, 1986) would love to create a sculpture park somewhere around Paramaribo. Or place sculptures at characteristic locations in the city. Just like other plans of such a dreamy nature, it’s difficult to have them realized. They usually get stuck somewhere in the sketch phase and then quietly disappear in an ever greedy drawer.

These works attest to the fact that he did not let that happen. He has converted them into a series of paintings.

These works at least visualize what his intention was. Sculptures or sculpture groupings in clear view of recognizable, familiar buildings. But there is more that they visualize. In contrast to the buildings, the human figures of Dhiradj Ramsamoedj are far from the reality. They have deformed bodies with strange heads, but without faces. From their postures some information might possibly be derived. Arrogance? Despite their nakedness, their gender remains unclear. They look like creatures from another planet. The paintings remind me of scenes from a thrilling  science-fiction film. That sense of suspense is not just created by the strange creatures, but also by the surroundings. Although they might be familiar, the use of color, the shadows and the black lines make them seem ominous. As though there is dramatic change in weather coming up.

In all of his works Ramsamoedj ultimately portrays an image of people. His ‘Flexible Man’, constructed from colorful scraps of material is a prime example thereof. I cannot shake off the impression that his image of mankind shows negative traits. His people seem to withdraw from their environment. They seem to have no regard for these surroundings. Didn’t Ramsamoedj make an empty-plastic-bottle sculpture, drifting on the Suriname River, at the beginning of his art career? As a kind of symbol of pollution? Is the approaching storm sensation that these paintings generate, not a portrayal of the consequences?  Is his flexible man not just a disguised conformist who doesn’t want to stand for anything?

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘Flexible Man’ / PHOTO Roy Tjin

If this explanation makes sense, then there is every reason to place the sculptures of  Ramsamoedj on strategic locations in the city. They at least provide some food for thought. And in the meantime they break the code that sculptures in public spaces should always represent pride, glorification or remembrance.

TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, October, 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld, 2014

Want to see this and other work of Dhiradj Ramsamoedj ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Dhiradj Ramsamoedj please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/dhiradjramsamoedj.

More work by Dhiradj Ramsamoedj available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘I Sculpture Paramaribo III’, acryl on canvas, 114x80cm, 2014 – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘De Beschermer’ [The Protector], acryl on canvas, 114x100cm, 2014 – USD 700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘You and me’, oil on canvas, 150x110cm, 2010 – USD 800 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘A Story of My Own VI’, acryl on canvas, 119x129cm, 2010 – USD 800 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ”, oil on canvas, 40x65cm, 2008 – USD 165 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, ‘A Subtraction of a Memory 12′, acryl on canvas, 36x54cm, 2009 – USD 100 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, untitled, wood object, 60x105x31cm, 2013 – USD 400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on October 22, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on October 22, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Afaka Libi III’, mixed media on canvas, 145 cm wide x 86 cm high, 2011, by Marcel Pinas.

Marcel Pinas, ‘Afaka Libi III’, mixed media on canvas, 145 cm wide x 86 cm high, 2011 – USD 2500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

It is well known that with his art, Marcel Pinas (1971) tries to revive the culture of his birth district Marowijne. The war in the interior has harshly and relentlessly undermined that culture. “There is nothing left of the place where I grew up.”

He does this in several ways. By giving youngsters in Moengo and surroundings the opportunity to develop their talents and creative ideas in different ways and in various forms. And by making art works that conjure up memories of the rich Maroon culture, and by exhibiting them internationally.

This work from 2011 is a good example thereof.

At first sight it is a colorful collection of characters, painted on the canvas in a loose style and in seemingly random fashion. That the whole presents a powerful image, is because Pinas has forged the loose elements of the work into a lively whole through an effective use of color and surface. Moreover, due to the play of contrasts, the colors look wonderfully enticing. They know how to lure the viewer in quite aptly. The large dimensions of the painting strengthen that experience.

But Pinas digs deeper. The characters are letters from the Afaka, a syllable script that was made in 1910 for the Ndyuka language, by Afáka Atumisi. The colors refer to the colorful decorations of the Maroons as seen in for example the traditional cloths and in the adornments on houses, boats, utensils, etc. The colors also represent happy, joyful, and uncomplicated childhood memories.

Marcel Pinas could possibly be called a romantic. He goes back to the past, hoping to thus improve the present. You could pass this off as ‘casual’. A dreamer with a can of paint and a brush. That is not what he is. He is trying to make his dream come true by actually intervening in the daily lives of the Maroons by offering them real facilities – the Tembe Art Studio, a museum (CAMM), a store. And by making strategic use of other influential opportunities such as organizing festivals that attract the attention of all Surinamese and by accepting the Directors position of the Nola Hatterman Art Academy, so that that institution can regain prestige and status.

A romantic, sure, but one with influence, persuasion and a sense of reality.

Want to see this and other work of Marcel Pinas ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Marcel Pinas please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/marcelpinas.

More work by Marcel Pinas available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Marcel Pinas, ‘Afaka Libi I’, mixed media on canvas, 145 cm wide x 86 cm high, 2011 – USD 2500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Marcel Pinas, ‘Afaka sikifi I’, mixed media on canvas, 157 cm wide x 229 cm high, 2009 – USD 5500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Marcel Pinas, ‘Afaka buku pikien 2′, pen drawing on paper, 16 cm wide x 22 cm high, 2013 – USD 250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Marcel Pinas, ‘Tan A Do’, mixed media on canvas, 70 cm wide x 93 cm high, 2009 – USD 1500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Marcel Pinas, ‘Kibii wi koniI’, screenprint 3/15, 100 cm wide x 70 cm high, 2009 – USD 1500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Also in the Readytex Art Gallery shop:

Brochure Kibii Wi Koni Marcel Pinas The Event – SRD 10

Book Marcel Pinas. Artist, more than an artist – € 30Brochure Kibii Wi Koni Marcel Pinas The Event – SRD 10

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on November 5, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on November 5, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

Working with new materials can be very inspiring for a visual artist. Someone who often takes the lead in this regard, is Kim Sontosoemarto (also on Facebook). She introduced Suriname to the material Paverpol, a kind of polymer substance with which objects can be made that sometimes resemble ceramics. Although the material is not cheap, the possibilities are almost endless, thus making it possible to create art (and crafts) accessible to every budget.

Flyer exhibition

On November 13^th Kim Sontosoemarto organizes a masterclass that will be taught by Jossy de Roode, from Paverpol International. De Roode is very well known internationally when it comes to Paverpol. She is also the one who has trained Sontosoemarto. The master class is intended for persons who have previously worked  with the material and are thus already familiar with it. Under the guidance of De Roode, the participants will work on an abstract object of their choice.

Master Class Jossy de Roode / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Master Class Jossy de Roode / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Master Class Jossy de Roode / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Kim Sontosoemarto: “In the past few years I gave paverpol workshops every last saturday of the month. During those, people really got to know the material. I expect a lot of attention for the masterclass of Jossy de Roode. At the end of 2013 the students exhibited during the Paverpol Crea Weekend. In addition to the exhibited works, there were also demonstrations given. It was at that time already our intention to make this a recurring event. So this year we have the masterclass, followed by the exhibition: I Figure.”

Participants in I Figure are: Annerose Alberga, Margo Chocolaad, Dorette Kuster, Warda Marica, Marleen De Bruijn, André Sontosoemarto, Kim Sontosoemarto, Vanessa de Vries and Carmen Zaandam. During the exhibition, which will be held on November 14^th and 15^th in De Hal at the Grote Combéweg 45, the works created during the masterclass will also be on display. Opening hours of the exhibition are: 10:00-13:00 hrs and 18:00-22:00 hrs.

Paverpol jewelry made by Warda Marica / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Paverpol art made by André Sontosoemarto / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Paverpol art made by André Sontosoemarto / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Paverpol art made by Dorette Kuster / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Paverpol art made by Kim Sontosoemarto / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

Paverpol art made by Marleen de Bruijn / Collection Kim Sontosoemarto

TEXT Marieke Visser, 2014

Marieke Visser (Bennekom, the Netherlands, 1962) studied journalism and language and literature in the Netherlands. As publicist she writes a lot about art, culture, history and tourism from her own news agency Swamp Fish Press. Three large art projects to which she has recently contributed are: Wakaman Drawing lines, connecting dots, Paramaribo SPAN and  Kibii Wi Koni Marcel Pinas The Event. She is currently editor in chief of Sranan Art Xposed.

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

In de Ware Tijd of November 11, 2014 a great article by Tascha Samuel:

Article by Tascha Samuel in ‘de Ware Tijd’, November 11, 2014

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Blauw Misi’, mixed media on canvas, 70 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2013, by Sri Irodikromo.

Sri Irodikromo, ‘Blauw Misi’, mixed media on canvas, 70x100cm, 2013 – USD 800 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

A striking canvas by Sri Irodikromo (Schiedam, 1972). For several reasons.

When it comes to her work I automatically think of warm colors: yellow, orange, red, going towards brown. This painting is unmistakably blue, in many shades of that color. The title ‘Blauw Misi’ (blue lady) once again emphasizes this choice. Blue is not considered a warm color, rather the opposite.

The choice for this color is clarified when I see how Sri portrays her ‘Misi’. While many of her works are figurative, in this case it seems as though Irodikromo has reduced the woman to a collection of abstract shapes held together by the vague contours of a woman. They are forms that literally seem to not want to give anything away, that only just want to be a form. The woman is no longer human, but a blue mechanism. I use this last word deliberately because there is, due to her loose, expressionistic way of painting, indeed some movement, some liveliness in the woman. That sounds contradictory, but perhaps she is indeed looking for that contradiction. The tear underneath the middle of the work seems to reinforce this. The artist has sewn two parts together in an elementary fashion. It is obviously done by hand. Everything but technical or mechanical.

It seems obvious to look at the blue figure as a symbol of the coldness caused by the rapid developments in social media and the subsequent acceleration of society, as a result of which human contact is likely to become undermined. Another work, ‘Techno Misi’, seems to reinforce that interpretation. The contradictions mentioned though, are indicative of doubt.

Blue also symbolizes ‘turned inwards’. Irodikromo could just as easily have portrayed that variation. The work could then possibly refer to the consequences of all those developments. Mankind shielding itself.

Sri Irodikromo has no clear answer. She raises questions, but relevant questions. Questions that many people have about a society that increasingly allows itself less and less rest.

Aside from all interpretations: ‘Blauw Misi’ is a surprising and powerful work. An image that imbeds itself in your memory.

TEXT Rob Perrée, New York, November 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of Sri Irodikromo ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Sri Irodikromo please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/sri.

More work by Sri Irodikromo available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Sri Irodikromo, ‘Techno misi 11′, mixed media on canvas, 40x40cm, 2013 – USD 375 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, ‘Baka sei’, mixed media on canvas, 68x114cm, 2011 – USD 900 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, ‘Pangi’, mixed media on canvas, 53x77cm, 2012 – USD 700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, ‘Adjuba (vlijtige)’ [Adjuba (industrious)], ceramics, 18x33x15cm, 2008 – USD 400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, bloc note cover, 23/50 – USD 120 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, bloc note cover, 23/50 – USD 120 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sri Irodikromo, bloc note cover, 23/50 – USD 120 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on November 19, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on November 19, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Papegaai V’ [Parrot V], mixed media on paper, 47 cm wide x 63 cm high, 2012, by Sunil Puljhun.

Sunil Puljhun, ‘Papegaai V’ [Parrot V], mixed media on paper, 47x63cm, 2012 – USD 155 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

And then all of a sudden there is this work: ‘Papegaai V’ (Parrot V) from 2012. An innocent work, executed in bright, but transparent colors. A parrot on a branch. The paint does not restrict itself to the edges of his reality. It flows in all directions, as watercolors tend to do. The jumpy, seemingly uncontrolled way in which that occurs, makes of the animal not just the suggestion of an animal, but especially a lively and active creature that seems to be screaming at the top of his lungs. A screamer.

Is this a turning point in the work of Puljhun? Has he put his gloom aside? Has he conquered his fears? That is hard to say. For a time the artist experimented with Photoshop as a means to give a twist to reality. In this work however, the reality is manipulated manually.

Does he use the parrot as a symbol? That is a possibility. In a small community ‘parroting’ is easier than voicing your own opinion. It could be that he is irritated by that habit. Looked at from that perspective, a screaming parrot might be frightening after all. Especially when the artist puts him against a background of a black cloud. That then suddenly becomes more than decorum.

Sunil Puljhun was born in Suriname and has always lived and worked there. His work does not give that away clearly. He essentially covers themes that are universal, that apply to many more communities and countries.

TEXT Rob Perrée, New York, November 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of Sunil Puljhun ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Sunil Puljhun please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/sunilpuljhun.

More work by Sunil Puljhun available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Sunil Puljhun, ‘Untitled 2′, mixed media on paper, 47x63cm, 2011 – From: ‘The Weight of Darkness’ – USD 550 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sunil Puljhun, ‘The Jump’, mixed media on paper, 56x76cm, 2011 – USD 450 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sunil Puljhun, ‘Samen zijn we sterk’ [Together we are strong], mixed media on paper, 35x50cm, 2009 – USD 300 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sunil Puljhun, ‘Freedom Fighter I’, mixed media on paper, 75x55cm, 2010 – USD 400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Sunil Puljhun, ‘Dare Devil’, mixed media on canvas, 140x140cm, 2008 – From: ‘The Weight of Darkness’ – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on December 3, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on December 3, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

What: SURIFESTA FVAS (also to be found on Facebook) Giant Painting 2014. With: George Struikelblok, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, Dorette Kuster, Patrick Tjon Jaw Chong, Dakaya Lenz, Erwin de Vries, Ron Flu, Glenn Fung Loy, Rinaldo Klas, Soeki Irodikromo, Anand Binda, Leo Wong Loi Sing, Jules Brand-Flu, Reinier Asmoredjo, August Bohé, Ray Daal, Stanny Handigman, Cliff Rasidin, Ardie Setropawiro, Sri Irodikromo, Manuela Tjin A Soe, André Sontosoemarto, Kim Sontosoemarto, Daniel Djojoatmo, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, Kurt Nahar, Ranjan Akloe, Leonnie van Eert, Arti Abhelakh, Johan Doelradjak

When: December 13 & 14, 2014, 10:00 hrs till late

Where: Sidewalk Café ‘t Vat, Kleine Waterstraat 1, Paramaribo 

Flyer

The previous giant painting, made by FVAS members in 1997. Participants: Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, Ron Flu, Glenn Fung Loy, Rinaldo Klas, Soeki Irodikromo, Anand Binda, Reinier Asmoredjo, August Bohé, Ray Daal, Stanny Handigman, Sharda Harkhoe, Cliff Rasidin, Ardie Setropawiro, Micheal Wong Loi Sing, Anita Hartmann — at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport

What: Freedom in creativity, 28 young artists show their work

When: December 13, 10:00-22:00 hrs & December 14, 10:00-20:00 hrs

Where: De Hal (Facebook), Grote Combéweg 45, Paramaribo

Flyer

Flyer

Flyer

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Mountains of Gold II’, acrylics on canvas, 130 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2012, from Rinaldo Klas.

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Mountains of Gold II’, acrylics on canvas, 130 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2012 – USD 1400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

“The Nassau Mountains, in the east of Suriname, are also under threat of falling prey to the gold rush The World Nature Fund, WWF Guianas, is sounding the alarm. Dozens of illegal gold miners have encroached upon the area, attracted by the promise of quick fortune. There seems to be no stopping it.”

A simple message on the website of ‘Waterkant’ at the beginning of this year. Behind these three lines a drama is hidden. An apparently unstoppable destruction of nature, which does not even bring any financial benefits to the country.

Rinaldo Klas – who in his work often expresses his concern for his natural environment – seems to utilize a similar method to expose this problem. In this painting – ‘Mountains of Gold II’ from 2012 – he needs very little to bring his message across. What in reality was once a green landscape and is now changed into a yellow-brown, messy, barren hill scenery, becomes, in Klas’s work, a grouping of bare, reddish brown hills under blue skies and a yellow sun.

A great part of its significance lies hidden in the colors. It looks as though the landscape is bleeding. The bright blue and yellow seem to, because of the way they heighten the contrast, reinforce this explanation. By themselves they could be seen as symbols of hope. If the authorities bring an end to the gold rush, nature might as yet be able to restore itself.

Rinaldo Klas (Moengo, 1954) has an easy, loose way of painting. Very few nuances, hardly any detailing, just rather bold strokes of paint in a limited array of colors. For him it is not about accurately portraying reality, it is about bringing across a message to a large audience. Clear symbolism then takes precedence over nuances. A billboard on the side of the road does not focus on details either.

Since recently Rinaldo Klas no longer has to concern himself with the goings on at the Nola Hatterman Art Academy. That task has been taken over. Now he has more time to focus on his artistry. This work proves how important it is that he manifests himself as an artist more often and in more places.

TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, December 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of Rinaldo Klas ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Rinaldo Klas please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/rinaldoklas.

More work by Rinaldo Klas available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Mountains of Gold I’, acrylics on canvas, 130 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2012 – USD 1400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Goudkoorts II’ [Gold rush II], acrylics on canvas, 187 cm wide x 144 cm high, 2012 – USD 2250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Goudkoorts III’ [Gold rush III], acrylics on canvas, 187 cm wide x 144 cm high, 2012 – USD 2250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Goudkoorts IV’ [Gold rush IV], acrylics on canvas, 187 cm wide x 144 cm high, 2012 – USD 2250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Looking for gold’, acrylics on canvas, 187 cm wide x 144 cm high, 2012 – USD 2250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘From the sky III’, acrylics on canvas, 130 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2012 – USD 1400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Goudputten 3’ [Gold pits 3], acrylics on canvas, 30 cm wide x 20 cm high, 2012 – USD 200 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Goudputten 18’ [Gold pits 18], acrylics on canvas, 30 cm wide x 20 cm high, 2012 – USD 200 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Going for gold’, acrylics on canvas, 60 cm wide x 80 cm high, 2012 – USD 700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Untitled 3’, mixed media on tile, 15 cm wide x 15 cm high, 2012 – USD 55 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘My baby’, acrylics on paper, 56 cm wide x 75 cm high, 2012 – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Rinaldo Klas, ‘Red Ibis’, acrylics on canvas, 50 cm wide x 50 cm high, 2014 – USD 500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on December 17, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on December 17, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

What: Erwin de Vries 85 jaar Beeldhouwer Schilder Levensgenieter [85 years Sculptor Painter Bon Vivant]

When: December 21-23, 2014, 11:00-14:00 hrs & 17:00-20:00 hrs

Where: De Hal (Facebook), Grote Combéweg 45, Paramaribo 

Flyer

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Erwin de Vries, flanked by Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi and George Struikelblok, when he participated prominently in the SURIFESTA FVAS Giant Painting 2014 project / PHOTO Peter Thielen, 2014

Erwin de Vries recently was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Owru Yari Awards.

What: Exhibition Ro Heilbron

When: Friday December 19, Saturday December 20 & Sunday December 21, 2014. Friday: 19:00-22:00 hrs, Saturday & Sunday: 10:00-14:00 hrs & 17:00-22:00 hrs  

Where: Artherese, Keizerstraat 83, Paramaribo

Announcement

Ro Heilbron

Ro Heilbron

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In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Skinny’, acrylics on canvas, 30 cm wide x 38 cm high, 2013, from Reinier Asmoredjo.

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Skinny’, acrylic on canvas, 30 cm wide x 38 cm high, 2013 – USD 300 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang 

That Reinier Asmoredjo (Paramaribo, 1962) paints a woman is not surprising. Women are usually his theme. Especially Maroon women, women who in his eyes, receive less attention than they deserve. It seems as though he is trying to restore that imbalance with his work.

That he portrays them in profile is not strange either. He almost always does that. He is not intent on a traditional portrait that puts down an image of person as realistically as possible. His women are representatives of an idea, not components of a portrait gallery.

More striking are the colors that he uses. His black women are everything but black. They literally have every color of the rainbow. Still, as a viewer you have no doubt about the skin color of his models. Is that because a number of customary clichés – lips and breasts – are accentuated by him? He would then undermine his own mission. I suspect that the colors are representative of the culture to which ‘his’ women belong.  Asmoredjo is well known for the fact that he wants to do the rich Surinamese cultures justice. In that culture color plays a dominant role.

This painting is titled ‘Skinny’. An intriguing title that puts one to thinking. She can, as a play of words, refer to skin or skin-color. But skinny, taken in its literal sense, has a negative connotation. The headphones offer some clarity. The woman is probably a young woman, a woman who considers herself more a representative of a generation, than that of a culture. That implies that she must sooner conform to the international advertising codes of a young woman, than to the classical image of a Maroon woman. The artist seems to be disappointed by this. Hij chooses after all to use the word ‘skinny’, and not ‘slim’.

Asmoredjo may paint figuratively, but he does not allow reality to restrict him. He wants to be able to incorporate his ideas and symbols and therefore chooses a style that approaches surrealism. That gives him more freedom. That allows him to tell HIS story, not THE story.

TEXT Rob Perrée, December 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of Reinier Asmoredjo ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Reinier Asmoredjo please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/reinierasmoredjo.

More work by Reinier Asmoredjo available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Sunshine Beauty’, acrylic on canvas, 44 cm wide x 43 cm high, 2013 – USD 400 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Inspiration’, acrylic on canvas, 70 cm wide x 103 cm high, 2011 – USD 700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Girls’, acrylic on canvas, 70 cm wide x 103 cm high, 2011 – USD 700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘Fat muje’, acrylic on canvas, 75 cm wide x 110 cm high, 2007 – USD 750 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Reinier Asmoredjo, ‘New Moon’, acrylic on glass, 25 cm wide x 33 cm high x 25 cm deep, 2013 – USD 350 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on December 31, 2014 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on December 31, 2014.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Untitled 11’, mixed media collage on paper, 20 cm wide x 29 cm high, 2011, by Kurt Nahar.

Kurt Nahar, ‘Untitled 11′, mixed media collage on paper, 20x29cm, 2011 – USD 125 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This is a collage by Kurt Nahar (Paramaribo, 1972). Such work is also called a photo-montage. Existing photos are manipulated. They are taken out of their original context and put together in a new arrangement by the artist. It is a genre that already existed in the middle of the nineteenth century, but became especially popular in the 1910’s and 1920’s, primarily in Germany and Russia. Artists such as Raoul Hausmann, Hannah Höch, John Heartfield and Alexander Rodchenko became famous for it.

Its popularity was due to different factors. Photography was still relatively new and many people were therefore fascinated by it. A photo-montage costs hardly anything and can be created quickly. It allows for a quick response to current situations. In turbulent political times – and that is exactly what the second and third decades of the twentieth century were with their wars and revolutions – it was an excellent medium to give criticism, to demonstrate your involvement as an artist.

Nahar uses the photo-montage from that tradition. This work looks like a page out of a catalog from a weapon manufacturer, but that is not at all what it is. Nahar has indeed probably ‘stolen’ these images from such a catalog or a print advertisement, but by cutting them out carelessly and placing them on a white background in an apparently random fashion, without aesthetic or alluring order, he indicates that he is actually opposed to such weaponry. The work is a protest against violence.

Violence is a familiar theme in the work of Kurt Nahar. His abhorrence of the December murders, but also his aversion to all kinds of dictators who maintain their positions with violence, are recurrent themes in his installations, texts and other collages. With them he aims to confront the viewer, and whether his work has an attractive appearance or is made perfectly, is thus of no consequence to him. Beauty and technical skill are subordinate to the message. As long as the viewer is encouraged to think about subjects that are not openly discussed otherwise, then Nahar is content.

With this work he has reached his goal.

TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, November 2014

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of Kurt Nahar ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about Kurt Nahar please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/kurtnahar.

More work by Kurt Nahar available in Readytex Art Gallery:

Kurt Nahar, ‘This is not a pig’, mixed media on paper, 47x49cm, 2012 – USD 500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Untitled 36′, mixed media collage on paper, 27x18cm, 2011 – USD 125 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Revo no, Pussy Si 14′, mixed media collage on paper, 19x26cm, 2011 – USD 150 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Revo no, Pussy Si 5′, mixed media collage on paper, 19x26cm, 2011 – USD 150 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘On the wall’, mixed media collage on canvas, 67x81cm, 2011 – USD 575 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Het leven voor niets in een zothuis 8′, mixed media collage on paper, 21x29cm, 2011 – USD 175 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Kwakoe dada’, mixed media on paper, 28×37.5cm, 2010 – USD 130 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘El mundo de los muertos’, mixed media collage on paper, 19x28cm, 2009 – USD 150 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Peaceful Visions I’, mixed media on hardboard, 60x90cm, 2008 – USD 600 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Dada en de appel I’, mixed media on wood, 30x125x3cm, 2008 – USD 250 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

Kurt Nahar, ‘Appeltje voor de dorst’, applied art product, mixed media on canvas, 37x37x8cm, 2011 – USD 100 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on January 14, 2015 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on January 14, 2015.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

What: WOW International presents the exhibition OPEN with work by Xavier Robles de Medina, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Lou Reed, Martin Parr, Sarah Lucas, Robert Mapplethorpe, Aldo Bakker, and many more. Xavier Robles de Medina (also on Facebook) is one of the artists in residence at WOW, and he shows new work created, conceived, and produced during his residency at WOW. 

When: November 30, 2014-January 31, 2015

Where: WOW Amsterdam (also on Facebook), Wiltzanghlaan 60, 1061 HC Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Xavier Robles de Medina, ‘Counter’, oil on linen, 60x90x4.5cm, 2014 / PHOTO Courtesy Xavier Robles de Medina

Xavier Robles de Medina, ‘A Freeze is Coming’, urethane plastic, 11x11x2.5inches, 2013 / PHOTO Courtesy Xavier Robles de Medina

Xavier’s work next to Andy Warhol’s work / PHOTO Courtesy Xavier Robles de Medina

Dear SAX-readers!

We start the year on a positive note and ring in 2015 with a once again beautiful and well-filled edition of Sranan Art Xposed. We wish you an artistic and creative new year in which ART may play a large role. Because: “What would EARTH be without ART? EH …”

Much reading- and looking pleasure!

On behalf of the SAX-team, Marieke

Marieke

Cassandra

Ada

Chandra

Rob

Wendy

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Download your English edition of SAX 10 here: SAX 10 English edition jan15

Download your Dutch version of SAX 10 here: SAX 10 Nederlandse editie jan15

Interested? For a free subscription please send a mail to srananart@gmail.com

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CONTENTS | JANUARY 2015
Dear Reader – A word in advance by Marieke Visser
Outspoken – Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld talks with Razia Barsatie about her Moengo-residency
Preview – Chandra van Binnendijk talking with Els Tjong Joe Wai
On-sight – Exhibitions in Suriname
Bits & Pieces – Short updates from the art world in Suriname
From the Collection – At home with Ruud Souverein
In the District – A visit to the rastas in Pikin Slee
Agenda Sranan – What there is to do in Suriname
Beyond Borders Inspired – Jon Daamen in South-Africa
Beyond Borders On-sight – Rob Perrée about the exhibition of Remy Jungerman
Beyond Borders On-sight – Rob Perrée about Diana Blok
Beyond Borders Agenda – Activities Beyond Borders
Good Reads – Books, magazines, reports: letters about art
An Eye for Art – Learning how to look at art: Sri Irodikromo
Connected – The virtual world
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Children of the spider Anansi are we 

and the wider world is our web 

love, lust or fate

takes us to the farthest points 

where ever we may go in that worldly web 

everywhere there are threads to grasp 

and threads to let go 

(A verse of the Ashanti-people in Ghana)

This biennial in India is an inspiration for art initiatives throughout the world, especially for countries where budgets are tight and technological possibilities require a lot of ‘out of the box thinking’.

What: Second Kochi-Muziris Biennale Whorled Explorations (also on Facebook), on Google+, on Twitter and on Youtube)

When: December 12, 2014–March 29, 2015

Where: Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands, Kerala, India.  The shows are held in existing galleries and halls, and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures.

From the Curatorial Note: “Whorled Explorations is conceived as a temporary observation deck hoisted at Kochi. The exhibition draws upon a wide glossary of signs from this legendary maritime gateway to bring together sensory and conceptual propositions that map our world referencing history, geography, cosmology, time, space, dreams and myths.”

The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) is a non-profit charitable trust engaged in promoting art & culture and educational activities in India; primary amongst them the hosting of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. KBF works around the year to strengthen contemporary art infrastructure and to broaden public access to art across India.

The Kochi Biennale Foundation is also engaged in the conservation of heritage properties and monuments and the upliftment of traditional forms of art and culture.

KBF was founded in 2010 by artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu.

Map

Julian Charrière, We Are All Astronauts, 2013. 13 found globes made of glass, plastic, paper and wood. Steel base with MDF board, dust from globes’ surface and international mineral sandpaper / PHOTO Martin Agryroglo. Courtesy Julian Charrière

What: Exhibition Ruwe Bolsters, with RaQuel van Haver

When: January 18-February 13, 2015

Where: SBK Galerie 23, KNSM-laan 307-309, 1019 LE Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Quote from an article about her work: “Questions such as ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What am I doing here?’ are the fundamental questions she has often asked herself and which she is now letting her ‘models’ ask. These are often young men she encounters in her surroundings. Tough macho guys who take on an identity. Because of their posture, their clothes, their behavior. Who appear tougher than they really are.”

Work by RaQuel van Haver | PHOTO Auke VanderHoek (http://aukevanderhoek.com/), 2014

Work by RaQuel van Haver | PHOTO Auke VanderHoek (http://aukevanderhoek.com/), 2014

Work by RaQuel van Haver | PHOTO Auke VanderHoek (http://aukevanderhoek.com/), 2014

Read Rob Perrée’s article on the SBK Galerie 23 page.

Blog post by Auke VanderHoek.

Also mentioned in ARC Magazine.

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In collaboration with art critic Rob Perrée, Readytex Art Gallery has developed an informative initiative: An Eye for Art. Once every two weeks Rob Perrée discusses a work of art from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery. This week he talks about ‘Coronie wiki’, mixed media on canvas, 150 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2014, by René Tosari.

René Tosari, ‘Coronie wiki’, mixed media on canvas, 150 cm wide x 100 cm high, 2014 – USD 1700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

“Sometimes they look like people, sometimes like animals, but often they seem like something halfway between human and animal. There are also shapes that look more like signs, like symbols. The small ‘islands’ are reminiscent of halved oranges.”

This is a sentence that I needed for this series last year, in order to describe the imagery of the large painting ‘Diversity is Power’ from René Tosari (Meerzorg, 1948). An imagery with detours, with signs and symbols of which you have to figure out the meaning; an imagery that is not averse to a touch of surrealism.

How different it is with this work. Here Tosari more closely approaches the reality, even if the formal setting is more artificial than reality. It resembles a collection of postcards that have fluttered down into a woodsy landscape. The images on the cards are clear: children, buildings, a statue, nature. The meaning can be deduced from the texts that Tosari has incorporated on the canvas. And from the title: The painting ‘Coronie wiki’ (Coronie wake up) is an appeal to the community – in this case  the district Coronie serves as an example – to wake up and make sure that her children are provided with good education so that later on, they can be proud and know that they are respected. This looks like the ‘old’ Tosari. The artist with a mission. The artist who was, mostly in the eighties and especially through his graphical prints, deeply committed  to changing his country. The artist who found it more important that his work had an impact, rather than it bringing him artistic appreciation or financial gain.

It is striking that ‘Coronie wiki’ comes from a series of canvases that he made in his last year in the Netherlands. He would soon turn 65 and he had decided that he would return to Suriname. His task in the Netherlands was done. This task included among other things, that he wanted to give children the opportunity to develop themselves creatively. It seems as though he wants to pass that ideal on to his homeland. But this canvas, and other paintings in this series as well, breathe a sense of yearning for Suriname. It seems as though he has taken inspiration from old family photos. He has resurrected those memories in his work, in order to prepare for his return. In those memories a symbolic and a surreal imagery is of little use. Those styles stand for a sublimated reality. Tosari wants to return to the true reality. And … that includes a message.

TEXT Rob Perrée, Amsterdam, January 2015

TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld

Want to see this and other work of René Tosari ‘up close and personal’? That’s possible at Readytex Art Gallery, Maagdenstraat 44-upstairs, Paramaribo. www.readytexartgallery.com. For more information about René Tosari please visit the website http://readytexartgallery.com/renetosari.

More on the Sranan Art blog about René Tosari please look here.

More work by René Tosari available in Readytex Art Gallery:

René Tosari, ‘The world in motion’, mixed media on canvas, 150 cm wide x 110 cm high, 2014 – USD 1800 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Coronie libi de I’ [Coronie there is life I], mixed media on canvas, 100 cm wide x 140 cm high, 2010 – USD 1700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Coronie libi de III’ [Coronie there is life III], mixed media on canvas, 92 cm wide x 149 cm high, 2010 – USD 1700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Dichtbij de oorsprong 18’ [Close to the source 18], mixed media on canvas, 160 cm wide x 250 cm high, 2010 – USD 3000 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Untitled I’, mixed media on canvas, 100 cm wide x 149 cm high, 2010 – USD 1700 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Diversity is power 1’, mixed media on canvas, 95 cm wide x 110 cm high, 2009 – USD 1500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Environment (take care of …)’, mixed media on canvas, 85 cm wide x 138.5 cm high, 2008 – USD 1500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

René Tosari, ‘Digi battle I’, mixed media on canvas, 90 cm wide x 90 cm high, 2008 – USD 1500 / PHOTO Readytex Art Gallery/William Tsang

A work by René Tosari from the ‘Digi’ series was used for an art wrap, as sold by the Readytex Art Gallery

A work by René Tosari from the ‘Digi’ series was used for an art wrap, as sold by the Readytex Art Gallery

This edition of An Eye for Art has been sent as a RAG-mailing on January 28, 2015 and was published in Kunst en Cultuur in de Ware Tijd on January 28, 2015.

Because really looking at art and understanding art are not always obvious and easy to do, we hope that these regular reviews will at least offer you some insight into the process.  You will get to see how a connoisseur looks at art, discusses it, and then links the work to others within the international art world.

Of course you can only truly judge a work of art when you are actually standing in front of it yourself. We therefore hope to see you soon in Readytex Art Gallery  and are eager to hear what you think of this artwork, and which other works of art you find yourself drawn to. Please note that the artworks discussed are still available for purchase at the time that the review is published.

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, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.

On January 30, 2015 the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, opened with a new exhibition: Jews in the Caribbean. Four Centuries of History in Suriname and Curacao. For the first time an extensive exhibition will shed light on the rise and fall of the Jewish communities in countries such as Brazil, Curaçao and Suriname.

The exhibition will be open from January 30 until June 14, 2015.

Jews in the Caribbean. Four Centuries of History in Suriname and Curacao

The sponsors of the exhibition

Although this is not an event about visual arts, we still feel it is good to share this with our Sranan Art Xposed audience. Sasha Dees offered to share her photos with us and so we are grateful to share these with you.

This exhibition is about an important part of Surinamese history. The presence of Jewish people in the Caribbean has added many flavors and colors to the fabric of our culture as we know it today.

Also, this year, we, the SAX Team, want to take a closer look at museums and how they display/share their collection.

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Cindy Kerseborn on the right / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Dorien van Hinte-Rustwijk / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Eddy Wijngaarde in the background / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Ellen Tjon A Meeuw / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Jennifer Smit / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, John Leerdam and friend / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Mike Ho Sam Sooi / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Nancy Jouwe and Gianni Campbell / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’ / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Pearl Dias / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

Opening night ‘Jews in the Caribbean’, Rudy Chotoe and partner / PHOTO Sasha Dees, 2015

PHOTOS Sasha Dees, 2015

Sasha Dees: “I want to provide a platform for emerging artists who push limits, cross borders and break down barriers. Art for me is about communication, confronting people without imposing, and creating a dialogue that offers a different perspective. I am interested in the collaboration between different cultures, traditions, genders and between the various art disciplines. All art disciplines are equally important to me –performing arts, visual arts, new media, literature and film. I work with artists who experiment with the classical art forms, who mix them up and break them down– not to destroy, but to analyze, re-use and build something new.”

Sasha lives for the arts. She has 15 years of experience as an international cultural producer and curator working on numerous projects in all art disciplines. She was one of the pioneers in rebuilding the cultural exchange between The Netherlands and Suriname (Caribbean). She also works with American artists and organisations: curating and scouting American talent for European venues and festivals as well as initiating, producing and/or advising on art and cultural exchanges and international collaborations.

Next to her own projects she founded- together with Philip Powel- the not for profit organisation for the arts John106.

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A blog post by Peter Sanches about the exhibition (Dutch language) can be found here: http://mofokoranti.nl.

Article about exhibition in ‘De Telegraaf’, February 2, 2015

On YouTube an interview with curator Julie-Marthe Cohen (Jewish Historical Museum) about the exhibition Jews in the Caribbean.  

Als on YouTube: a promo video for ‘A kippah in the Caribbean’, a video production by Tanja Fraai and Mike Ho-Sam-Sooi.