Jeihan Sukmantoro, Crossing the Boundary
Jeihan Sukmantoro sees himself as a zombie. Aside from his fragile body, he also has to consume dozens of medicines every day. The most expensive medicine is Rp 3 million, which he consumes every day to maintain kidney transplants in his body. He has lived with that condition for almost 12 years.
“So far there are no problems, my kidneys are good. In fact, I feel much younger. Perhaps it’s because of the kidney donor, who was a young person,” Jeihan said at his studio in Pasirlayung area, Padasuka, Bandung, West Java, in early March.
It’s not just kidney problems that Jeihan has, a few weeks ago he had to undergo surgery for lymphoma in the left side of his neck. “I am a zombie. Only my mind roams around the world,” Jeihan said.
As a zombie, physically, Jeihan feels he is “dead”. It’s only because of his high spirit that he is able to continue his artistic career, which has been running for more than 60 years.
Before undergoing cancer surgery in Malaysia, Jeihan bid farewell to the Indonesian art community. In an exhibition in December 2018, Jeihan wrote a farewell message in the exhibition catalog. “This might be my last solo exhibition,” he wrote.
At that time Jeihan had been informed about his lymphoma, which was at an advanced stage. He had to undergo surgery to save his life. “I know for sure, there are patients who rarely survive lymphoma surgery. So, I surrender, just accept the reality. So I said goodbye,” said the painter, who is known for the black eyes on all figures in his paintings.
Moreover, he said, the physicians at the hospital in Singapore that had previously helped him with his kidney transplant had given up. “There is no hope, said the doctor,” Jeihan said. However, he did not give up. He had heard about a doctor in Selangor, Malaysia, who had performed lymphoma surgery in just a few hours. “This is the umpteenth chance of my life,” he said.
At the age of 81, Jeihan Sukmantoro is one of Indonesia\'s well-established painters. He may even be called the elite artist of the country who continues to work in his old age. Jeihan is a rare painter because he can do paintings (not sketches) of his models in no more than 10 minutes. In his studio there are still some large paintings reaching as big as 11 meters. “I made them before cancer surgery,” he said.
One afternoon in early March 2019, he was visited by a female guest. Spontaneously, Jeihan asked if he could paint her. “I will paint you. This will be my first painting after cancer surgery,” Jeihan said excitedly.
He then asked his assistants to prepare a canvas and brush, and acrylic paint, then asked the model to sit on a chair. In no more than 10 minutes, a large painting was ready. It shows a woman sitting on a chair, her hair loose and her eyes black. There is always a mystery and that makes Jeihan\'s works favored by collectors.
Work grant
At a young age Jeihan had experienced torpor. He was almost even buried by his parents. However, he suddenly awoke minutes before he was to be brought to the cemetery for burial.
Then 12 years ago, he underwent kidney transplant surgery in Singapore. “At that time I already had money. So, I could get the best kidney donor that could give a kidney truly identical to mine,” he said. His kidney, Jeihan said, was very specific and difficult to find a donor for. “When suddenly someone wanted to be a donor, I felt like I had been given the opportunity to live again,” he said.
Almost the same thing happened again with the lymphoma in his neck. The chance of life given by God, said Jeihan, must be used as well as possible to do good. For the last few years, Jeihan has donated more than 20 of his works to Indonesian embassies abroad through the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.
He also even donated his works to other countries, friends of Indonesia, such as Iran and Iraq. Jeihan’s works can cost hundreds of millions of rupiah, some are even worth billions.
“Everything is a grant. I work on the paintings as part of my way of expressing gratitude, always given the opportunity to live even though my body is like a zombie,” said the husband of Sri Sunarsih.
In addition, in 2014 Jeihan also donated a monumental painting titled “Yang Mulia 6 RI Satu: Untuk Ibu Pertiwi”. This 3x8 square-meter painting shows six Indonesian presidents that once led Indonesia.
Now the painting has become an icon of Balai Kirti, Bogor Presidential Palace, as a collection of the state. Jeihan was determined to continue donating his works to Indonesian embassies throughout the world.
“Hopefully I will still be given time to complete this work,” he said.
Jeihan rose to fame in the Indonesian art scene after “dueling” with maestro S. Soedjojono at an exhibition titled “The Meeting of 2 Great Expressionists”, from Aug. 4 to 11, 1985, at Sari Pacific Hotel, Jakarta.
At that time, Soedjojono was already known as an art critic who was very sharp and as a famous Indonesian painter. Jeihan bravely set a price of US$50,000 (at an exchange rate of Rp 1,000 per US dollar) for his work. Amazingly, Jeihan’s works were sold. That was considered the start of a boom for Indonesian art. In the 1980s, the prices of paintings by maestros such as Affandi only reached around Rp 3 million.
Now, the winner of the 2009 Bandung City Cultural Award feels that he has arrived at the end of his journey of art. He wanted to make activities related to art as a way to Sufism. The culmination of art is poetry, he
said. The culmination of poetry is philosophy and the culmination of philosophy is Sufi.
"I don’t need anything else. I am just preparing myself for a call from God Almighty that creates this life,” Jeihan said.
Jeihan is still known as an artist who dared to cross the border. He understood the meaning of death and therefore, he always prepared himself to face it, including preparing the grave and headstone behind his studio. Before that really happens, he wants his life to be meaningful through giving, sincerely.
“I give it all to the country that has been giving life to the people,” said Jeihan.
We parted at the end of the twilight. The sun in the west was blocked by the towering Studio Jeihan building. The shadow fell on the lawn, where the trees gave shade. Bandung was afloat as night fell.
Jeihan Sukmantoro
Born: Surakarta, Sept. 26 1938
Education:
- Surakarta Culture Union (BHS)
- Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)
Award:
- Award for Art Pioneer in West Java 2006
- Bandung City Cultural Award 2009