FONG, HUANG (1936 -)

"Balinese Girl" (1974)
oil on canvas
39 x 31cm
signed lower left
*private collection, Sydney
 
Fong is a legendary Indonesian Painter. His artistic journey began in early 1963, when he explored the island of Bali. After returning to Java and working with a soft drink factory, bicycle shop and photo studio, he returned to Bali in 1967. He stayed in Ubud where he became acquainted with artists like Anton Huang, Abdul Azis, OH Supono, Tedja Suminar, Affandi and Hendra Gunawan. From all the artists he met in Ubud, he had the closest affinity to Affandi and Hendra, who he considered his main motivators. Fong, as an important figure in the practice of painting techniques in Indonesia, made an innovation that brought him fame through his combination of three techniques in one canvas: the Chinese-inspired water color transparency technique, the Western-styled oil painting and the traditional Balinese painting method by color rubbing. His works drew the attention of national and international art communities, and they have been displayed in galleries across the world, such as the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.