Mementos from Artists to An Art Lover

It’s very likely that amidst the collectors in the Indonesian art world—no name has remained in the tongues and hearts of the artists, mainly the artists in Yogyakarta, other than dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter.

That’s why, let’s say if you conduct a survey in the current Indonesian art world, especially in Yogyakarta: what is the very first name that comes up in your mind when thinking of a collector? The very likely answer is dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter.

Such analogousness assures me that, having lived for approximately four decades with art, having read, dined, and slept with art, as well as having loved art in sadness and happiness, with all entirety—being 80 years old, dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter has beautifully reflected the following words of Lewis Hyde, 2007:

“A work of art can survive without the market—but where there is no gift there is no art.”

It appears that, among thousands of artworks in his collection acquired by way of purchasing, dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter has kept hundreds of artworks, being the gifts from the artists. Some are displayed in this exhibition, the oldest, dated 1967, is a gift from a painter, Widayat—and the youngest, dated 2019, is a gift from a sculptor, Hari Susanto.

Most of these were definitively given by the artists after he officiated their art exhibition. Still in this context, I find dr. Oei Hong Djien, a.k.a. OHD, a.k.a. Pak Dokter unparalled in the art world in this Archipelago. Even, from the very first time he has started to open an art exhibition in 1990, it’s highly probable that he is a collector having the most recorded score in officiating art exhibitions.

Some of the remaining items in his collection are tokens of gratitude from the artists for his generous overseas trip companionship or his constant support to their creativity. The rest are mementos from the artists intended as precious reminiscence, if not historical, for dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter to keep—instead of expecting him to display these in OHD Museum.

Therefore, when designing this exhibition some six months ago, dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter and I reached a concord to name it “The Gift”. We understand that the word of “gift” contains the meanings of “present, grant, token, souvenir, and memento”. The word “gift” contains further meanings of “talent, flair, aptitude, and blessing” allowing great artworks to have not only artistic value, not even a sheer commercial value, but also social value in the hands and memories of a collector.

Hence, I would also like to crystallize such social value in this exhibition being the mementos from the artists to an art lover named dr. Oei Hong Djien a.k.a. OHD a.k.a. Pak Dokter for his instilled commitment on art to celebrate its eightieth birthday this year.

Magelang, 27 April 2019

WAHYUDIN, Exhibition Curator

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