Painting as a Duty
I Ketut Soki
I Ketut Soki is an icon among painters in Penestanan, Ubud, Bali. He would rather let people purchase his paintings at a cheaper price than see them go home empty-handed if they don’t have enough money. He also buys paintings from his neighbors who need money. For him, good relations are far more important than amassing wealth.
That afternoon on Wednesday (16/2/2017), I Ketut Soki slowly sat cross-legged and continued his unfinished sketch. He deftly traced his pencil on a canvas measuring 100x75 square centimeters.
From his pencil strokes, images of people on the market, rituals accompanied by traditional dances, the beauty of Balinese temples, people on rice fields and landscape views of nature emerged. All of them were arranged as a complete scene from bottom up.
Beside Soki, there was another similar painting measuring 200x125 square centimeters titled “Potong Padi” (Paddy Harvest). The painting uses bright basic colors such as green, yellow and red. He estimated that his sketch will be finished in three weeks.
Sometimes, he talked while painting. When I asked him about his age, he was unsure. He said that he might be 78. But, then, he said that he was only 12 years old when he met with Dutch-born Indonesian painter Arie Smit in 1960 – which means that he cannot be any older than 70.
He then stood and showed me a number of framed certificates that were piling up in a corner of a shelf in his studio in Jl. Raya Penestanan, Ubud. The studio on top of his gallery was located near his home. When showing me his pile of certificates, there was a bundle of Rp 100,000 bank notes amounting to Rp 1.3 million (US$97.74). “This money is for the kids here,” he said.
By “kids”, he was referring to the young painters in his neighborhood. They often come to Soki and ask him to buy their paintings. Sokioften cannot refuse. “I feel sorry for them. They need money. If I don’t buy their paintings, it’s difficult for them to find buyers,” Soki said.
The paintings are then put on display on his gallery to be resold at reasonable prices, not too high compared to what he had bought them for. For instance, paintings that he bought for Rp 500,000 can be resold at Rp 600,000. For Soki, what is important is that he can help others and encourage them to keep producing works.
It was even difficult for Soki to set prices for his own works. The reasoning is simple. “If a friend comes up and say, ‘I only have this much money,’ what can I say? All price, no matter if it’s Rp 100,000 or Rp 1 million, is valuable. I cannot stand when I see a friend go home empty-handed. This is why I cannot set high prices,” said the father of seven.
However, the case is different for foreign tourists. For them, Soki is not hesitant in setting high prices. “If they are really interested in something, I can sell a painting for more than Rp 10 million.”
Soki is famed in his village as a soft and quiet man. He is very kind towards others and often helps in ritual events.
Thanks to Arie Smit
Regarding his kind-heartedness, Soki said that life will only be difficult if we do not be kind to others. He can paint and live a well-off life like today thanks to the generosity of other people, especially Arie Smit.
Arie was a Dutch soldier and an artist. In 1960, he looked for several kids in Penestanantoto educate as young artists. Soki were one of these kids.
Soki said he was just a 12-year-old elementary school student when he first met Arie. After getting back home from school, Soki usually helped his parents herd ducks or cows. While waiting for the animals to eat, he often sat down on the ground and drew. He did this just to recall what he had learnt in school. At the time, students were still using slates and chalks at school.
When he was drawing one day, Arie passed by and praised his drawing. He then offered to teach Soki to paint, but the boy did not agree right away as he said he did not want to make his parents angry. Arie then asked for permission from Soki’s parents.
Since then, Soki learnt to paint every day after school. “I was taught how to mix colors. For instance, when you mix green and yellow, or green and white, you’ll get another color. He was so patient,” he said.
Arie also taught Soki to be detailed in making his sketches in order to make coloring easier. Soki still remembers all of these lessons, as is evident from his paintings with bright colors, clear lines and piling fragments like paintings of rocks.
Apart from about mixing colors, another memorable lesson Soki got from Arie was how to put anything that came to his mind and imagination to paper.
“I am used to see rituals, sceneries at the rice fields, farmers hoeing the fields, dragonflies, the sun setting – or rising if it’s in the morning. The result is this painting,” Soki said while showing me the “Potong Padi” painting measuring 200x125 square centimeters.
From a poor family
When he was still Arie’s student, Arie gave him a piece of paper and told him to draw anything and later color it. When the painting was done, Arie gave him money. The amount was big for Soki who was just the son of a poor farmer.
He said that he had just one pair of pants and no shirts at that time. If the pants got wet from rain on the way back home from school, he had to go to school covered in a blanket the next day.
Since learning how to paint, Soki not only obtained more meal money for himself but he could also help his parents. Through painting, he could send his children to college.
Soki was married twice. He has five children with his first wife Wayan Repen and another two with his second wife. One of his children now has a college degree in economics, another in pharmacy and another is a dentist. “I can never thank Arie Smit enough. I can be where I am today, thanks to him. I have talent, but I would not have been a painter if it was not for Arie,” said the painter of his teacher.
Soki said that Arie indirectly taught him to always help others. It is this attitude that he applies to everyday life, including in buying his neighbors’ paintings or selling his works with flexible prices. He also teaches children how to paint. One of his students is Made Rita, who is a relative of his.
“It is more enjoyable to have many friends than to have a lot of money but no friends,” he said, laughing.
Soki sees painting as his way to carry out his duty to do good deeds for other people.
