Lucia Hartini's realisic paintings, in part, no longer related to the reality. Realistic portrayal in her paintings, as she stated, are representations of another kind of reality not commonly known. Lucia Hartini herself is a follower of a certain belief that believes people can enter "the other" reality. Hartini's paintings suggest that parts of "the other" reality look like the reality commonly known. "It is perhaps a coincidence," she said.

Already in her childhood Hartini's sensibility encountered the invisible reality. In her childhood she was fond of sensing the wind, the smell, and the sounds that were not related to any source. Through these sensations she imagined another kind of reality. In the beginning, it was like science fiction.

The clouds and the glowing sun in her paintings that in her belief were realities, no doubt were based on her childhood memories. In her childhood she used to observe the reflections of clouds and the glowing sun on the water's surface. She admitted that there was a relationship between her childhood experiences and her capacity of sensing "the other" reality based on her belief.

In painting Hartini carries out three activities that she does simultaneously. These are selecting subject matters, determining background or setting, and, finding the unity between the subject matter and the background. However, very often it is difficult to identify the point of interest in her paintings. Sometimes the backgrounds are more important than the objects painted in the foregrounds. Nevertheless, it is not easy to judge what is important or unimportant in her paintings because of the fact that the whole scenery depicts Hartini's inner landscapes. In these landscapes that reflect "the other" reality, objects and spaces have a different kind of hierarchy.

However Hartini's realistic painting has a dual function. Besides being a media for recording "the other" reality, it is also a tool for self-identification. Here she tends to show that parts of her inner landscapes have their roots in reality. As matter of course Hartini often represents herself in her paintings. These kinds of representations originated in her habit to study her character through reflections. Here she put herself as a subject as well as an object. Self-reflection is significant here and thus nearly all the subject matter become self portraits. She said, "Creating works for me is a need. In my paintings, I can feel the freedom. I can explore my life and I can trace my inner-feelings, recognizing emptiness, anxieties, terrorized feelings, hopes and cases of surrender."

Jim Supangkat

Born on January 10, 1959 in Temanggung, Central Java.
Studied at Indonesia Art College (SSRI), Yogyakarta (1977).

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2002 "Spirit of Life Lucia Hartini", Bentara Budaya Art Centre, Jakarta.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1998 Biennale 1998, Jakarta.
1999 "Art and Culture", Alaf Baru Festival Pekan Seni Ipoh 1V, Malaysia.
2000 "Indonesia Realism Portrayal", Edwin Gallery, Bali; Group Exhibition of Drawing in Adira Gallery, Bandung, Indonesia.
2001 "Not I Am I?", Nadi Gallery, Jakarta; ASEAN Spiritual Art, Affandy Museum, Yogyakarta; "Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta Art Centre Collections", SISI Gallery, Jakarta; Group Exhibition, White Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia.
2002 "Eyes Witnesses", Nadi Gallery, Jakarta; Group Exhibition, One Gallery, Jakarta; "10 Women Painters", Yogyakarta Cultural Centre, Yogyakarta; "Diversity in Harmony", Yogyakarta Cultural Centre, Yogyakarta.
2003 Group Exhibition, Vanessa Art House, Jakarta.

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