"Once described as "the Rembrandt of the East", Basoeki Abdullah is renowned for his portraits of attractive women and political figures, with a reach that extended far beyond the region. The exhibition considers the artist-led diplomacy embedded in the circulation and aesthetics of his work, tracing his role as a high-society painter and a cultural producer attuned to the political power of his images."
"Extending beyond the galleries, the programme features a talk by the Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani on Southeast Asian regionalism and his recollections of working at the ministry of foreign affairs when it was housed in city hall, now home to the National Gallery. During Singapore Art Week, conversations with Grace Samboh, Gie Sanjaya and Sally Texania will bring a contemporary generation of Indonesian curators into dialogue with Basoeki's legacy, opening ways of seeing this seductive body of work anew."
Basoeki Abdullah, often called the Rembrandt of the East, became known for portraits of attractive women and prominent political figures and for a reputation that reached beyond Southeast Asia. His work functioned as artist-led diplomacy, shaped by high-society patronage and an awareness of the political force of images. The exhibition emphasizes his Singapore period from 1958 to 1960, when he gifted two large oil paintings to the state, and recreates aspects of his studio to evoke artistic production. The programme includes a talk by Kishore Mahbubani on regionalism and ministry history, and Singapore Art Week conversations with Indonesian curators. STPI's Print Show gathers 27 artists integrating printmaking into contemporary practice.
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