Affandi - 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale Hong Kong Sunday, November 24, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Private Collection, Asia
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    With a practice that has allowed international writers, art historians, artists and critics to express their deep appreciation of his great achievements as a ‘master of fine art’, Indonesian painter Affandi’s long embrace of self-portraiture is relatively unparalleled in art history. Stretching from his early experimentations in the 1930s to the final years of his life, the present lot, executed in 1975, is an exemplary of the artist’s wisened approach. As a leeway to self-documentation akin to Rembrandt and Van Gogh, Affandi’s self-portraits allowed for him to record his own psychical and psychological evolution, thus reflecting upon his own individual existence.

    Rendered in his token energetic style, the present work depicts the artist at a later stage of his life, capturing the elderly man with a pensive expression and a pipe between his lips. With a particular melancholic touch to it, this abstract self-portrait of Indonesia’s most important expressionist is a striking example of the artist’s ability to transfer emotion onto the canvas. Composed of swirling textured lines of oil applied with a vibrant colour palette, Self-Portrait exudes a raw energy that engages the viewer beyond the artist’s appearance alone, as if his soul has been imprinted into the work. The emotional intensity captured in the painting conforms to Affandi’s personal philosophy that his art was a genuine expression of humanity.

    Affandi was a towering figure in the Indonesian art world for more than half a century. Well received by famous art critics nearly everywhere he went, he painted and exhibited in several parts of the world during his life, including India, Japan, Egypt, the UK, France and the US. The self-taught artist was also the recipient of numerous awards, and his celebrated works have found their places in various private collections globally.

Property from a Private Southeast Asian Collection

178

Self Portrait

1975
signed with the artist's monogram and dated 'A 1975' lower centre
oil on canvas
91.5 x 86 cm. (36 x 33 7/8 in.)
Painted in 1975.

Estimate
HK$550,000 - 700,000 
€62,700-79,700
$70,500-89,700

Contact Specialist
Danielle So
Associate Specialist, Head of Day Sale

20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale

Hong Kong Auction 25 November 2019