#TreatyOfBredaSketchCrawl

RE-CONNECTING HISTORY

THRU SKETCHCRAWL EVENT

350 years ago, two feuding European countries decided to end their quarrels by exchanging some of their assets to each other. One wanted to monopolize the spice trade, the other saw potentials on the asset offered to them. Those two "assets" underwent totally different stories as one became one of the most famous cities of the world while the other virtually became unknown. Manhattan island was named Nieuw Amsterdam when it was a part of the Dutch colony while Rhun island was one of the most productive islands that produce the tasty, aromatic, multi functioned spice named Nutmeg. That time, Nutmeg,  priced more than gold, grew exclusively on Molucca archipelago in East Indies (before it becomes Indonesia in the 1900s) in which Rhun island was the only island that the Dutch couldn't monopolize because the British were there to defend it. Enter the Treaty of Breda, 1667.

In commemorating the swapping of the 2 islands through the treaty, Urban Sketchers Indonesia and NYC Urban Sketchers decided to have a one of a kind sketchcrawl event. The sketchcrawl included 3 different main locations: Jakarta, Maluku (Molucca) and New York. Sketchers in Jakarta decided to sketch historical items that relate to the history at the National Museum, Jakarta. Sketchers in Maluku sketched in Ambon City (capital of Maluku province), Banda Neira (the main island in the Banda Sea) and at the Rhun Island. The New York City Urban Sketchers chose to celebrate the occasion on the Dyckman Farm House, on of the oldest Dutch remains in New York. On the decided day of 21st of October, 2017, the sketchcrawl commenced with approximately 70 sketchers from the 4 locations participated. They uploaded their works on all social media under one main hashtag: #TreatyOfBredaSketchcrawl. (Facebook Page: Treaty of Breda Sketchcrawl, Instagram: #TreatyOfBredaSketchcrawl)

On the finale of the event, USk Indonesia (combination of Indonesia's Sketchers and Maluku Sketchwalk) swaps the sketches with NYC Urban Sketchers made during the sketchcrawls through mail. They hope that the sketches will be the testament of the re-connecting the history of the two islands and the new relationship built through sketches.

USK Indonesia: Jakarta team at the National Museum

Maluku Sketchwalk in Ambon City, Maluku

Maluku Sketchwalk in Amsterdam Fort, Ambon City, Maluku

Maluku Sketchwalk in Banda Neira, Banda Island, Maluku

Maluku Sketchwalk in Rhun Island, Maluku (Photo Credit: Embong Salampessy from Antara Photo)

NYC Urban Sketchers at the Dyckman Farm House, New York

Ms. Susi Pudjiastuti with the sketchers at Rhun Island (Photo Credit: Antara Photo)

We thanked Mark Leibowitz, Leslie Sim G and team from NYC Urban Sketchers, Jerry Pattinama, Resa Tuasikal, Embong Salampessy and team from Maluku Sketchwalk, Yanuar Ikhsan, Anto Motulz, Tio, Yoso Bayudono and team from Urban Sketchers Indonesia for making this event possible. Last but not least, we also thanked Indonesia Minister of Maritime Affair and Fishery, Ms. Susi Pudjiastuti and US Ambassador for Indonesia, Joseph Donovan Jr. for showing their support by attending the sketchcrawl event in Rhun Island.

For more information on the Treaty of Breda check this link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Breda_(1667)

CAP GO MEH 

at Surya Kancana Street, Bogor

Cap Go Meh literally means the 15th evening (after the Chinese New Year), celebrated by Chinese people all over the world with various kinds of festivities. In Bogor, West Java, it's celebrated in a form of a people parade by all communities from neighboring cities and regions, religions and ethnics, not only by the Chinese communities.

I took off from Jakarta in a rainy morning with a hope to catch this annual festival from the beginning (temple ritual for the gods and goddesses) towards the actual parade. We arrived before noon and Bogor was packed, rainy and busy already. My daughter and I tried to get inside Vihara Dhanagun (also called Hok Tek Bio temple) where the main activity took place every year and it was almost impossible to get in. The smell of incense was all over the place. Organizers, photographers, and spectators were packing the temple's hall and yard. Hardly any place to stand and sketch.

Traffic jam and people from all over Bogor city poured into Surya Kancana Street to see the parade.

Inside the Dhanagun Vihara as the center of the Cap Go Meh celebration was packed.

 

The celebration inside the temple (Photo credit: Iqbal Amirdha)

I had intended to meet my fellow sketchers from Bogor, Iqbal Amirdha, Kiki Priyosejati and Ersta Andantino who already settled inside the temple for good sketching spot but it was too packed and hectic to make it  to their spots that I decided to sketch somewhere safe and less chaotic.

While waiting for the activity to start, I sketched the commotion from the front gate of the vihara. People stood by to wait in the rain. Some carried umbrellas or raincoat, the others just didn't care even if they got drenched.

Inside the hall where the statues of gods and goddesses were stored, people were busy decorating and waving flags. Some visitors came to pay respect to the gods and goddesses here.

The Drummers (right side) by Kiki Priyosejati. The drums inside the hall can be heard all the way to the streets and usually symbolize what kind of activity or ritual that was going on.

Inside the vihara sketch by Iqbal Amirdha captured the sense of excitement.

As the religious activity took place, parade participants were already standing by at the hall and by Padjajaran street. Waiting for their turn to walk.

Kiki Priyosejati's quick sketch of the gate from the Surya Kancana street.

 

Bogor city Sketchers: Ersta Andantino, Iqbal Amirdha and Kiki Priyosejati. Reporting live, from Cap Go Meh festival.

By afternoon time, it seemed the parade is delayed until evening time. So I decided to head home before getting trapped inside the heavy traffic jam in Bogor city that day. After apologizing to my Bogor Sketchers friends via Whatsapp Application, we walked back to where we parked and safely drove back to Jakarta. May next year I can come back again and sketched a bit more. Special thanks to my Bogor Sketchers friends who stood by waiting for me although we didn't meet in person. I just admire their spirit to capture the scene through their sketches! 

The rain was still pouring as we exited Bogor through the highway. 

For more information about Hok Tek Bio?Dhanagun temple, please check out this http://phototour-id.blogspot.co.id/2015/08/vihara-dhanagun-hok-tek-bio-temple.html

Here's a nice article about Cap Go Meh: http://ozip.com.au/index.php/cap-go-meh-a-hearty-epilogue-of-chinese-new-years-festivities/

Also view: Facebook page of Bogor Sketchers, Indonesia's Sketchers for more sketches of Cap Go Meh celebration in Indonesia.

 

World Sketching Tour, Luis Simoes Comes to Indonesia

World Sketching Tour's

Luis Simoes Comes to Indonesia

Custom sketchbook made for Luis by Soleh Hadiyana

One of the many dreams of a sketcher is to see the whole world and show it one drawing at a time. An urban sketcher from Portugal, Luis Simoes is living that dream for about 4 years now. He set off from his hometown in Lisbon in 2012 and wanders the world (mostly Europe and Asia) alone, though sometimes meeting fellow travelers on a road.

A few days ago, he arrived in Jakarta after he finished traveling in the Philippines for about a month. After settling in a hostel in the Old Jakarta area, we arranged meetings with fellow Indonesian Urban Sketchers here and had a dinner together nearby the hostel. It was a great experience for us to meet him, talked to him about his numerous trips around the world, his struggles, his sketching method and his passion. He hopes to keep going on tour until he reaches his last target, Australia and New Zealand.

We took Luis in a laid back stroll around the old Chinatown residential block called Petak 9 the next day. We enjoyed the little and vivid details that the area provide and especially admire how this area still exist inside a megapolitan city like Jakarta. After having a late lunch (we sketched for a long time and almost skipped lunch). We also visited the Old Jakarta's "square" a.k.a Taman Fatahillah where the colonial Dutch buildings can be found. From there we head back to his hostel and let Luis rest.

Petak 9 neighborhood. A quiet Chinatown residential area yet has so many great little details that spring out from everywhere.

Sheila and I took Luis to lunch in  a hidden food stall behind Petak 9 traditional market called gang Kecap. In this sketch I wrote 10 questions that I asked Luis during our few days hanging out together.

The next day, Luis had the chance to explore Jakarta by himself for awhile. He went to an area called Passer Baroe and later had the chance to sketch Jakarta's oldest church, the Cathedral. In the afternoon, we came to meet him and took him to Cikini area, nearby city center to meet more Jakarta's urban sketchers. After sketching together inside a cafe there, we went to dinner at a small food stall nearby and have a farewell group photo.

Luis tried out his famous fish eye lens on my phone to take a groufie

A groufie after dinner. Stand left-right: Iqbal, Sari, Wahyu, Luis, Aga, Motulz, Donald. Front: Yoso and Yanuar.

Right now Luis is in Bandung, West Java. His plan is to spend few days on major cities in Java (Jogjakarta, Semarang, Solo & Surabaya) before crossing to the island of Bali and Lombok. We wish him a great adventure and may he find Indonesia comfortable and feel at home here. See you around, Luis. Vamos World Sketching Tour Indonesia!

Makassar Trip 2013: A tourist in his own hometown.

I took a lone trip to Makassar few weeks ago to attend my brother's child baptism. This time I went home without my wife and children which means I would get a lot of time doing some of the things I can't do on vacation when they're around. One of those things is live sketching.
Here are some of the sketches I made during my visit to my hometown:

I thought I'd get some sketches done on the airplane. Boy, was I wrong. I fell asleep on the plane and woke up when only 40 minutes left to the flight. Then the next morning, before taking a route to Fort Rotterdam, I stopped by a coto kiosk to have me one of my favorite foods of all time, Coto Makassar.

COTO MAKASSAR

Here's another view of the completely consumed coto. It was still early in the morning so the kiosk was still empty. If you were curious about what Coto Makassar is all about, check on this url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coto_Makassar

FORT ROTTERDAM

 Fort Rotterdam a.k.a Benteng Somba Opu a.k.a Benteng Ujung Pandang is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Makassar. It was built in the 15th century and holds a lot of memoir and history of the city. Right now it functions as history museums, multiple cultural event venue, art galleries and home (HQ) to Indonesia's Sketchers Makassar branch. I had a great chance to meet Zainal Beta (often called as Bang Enal), a senior artist who specializes in mud painting who volunteered to be the caretaker of IS Makassar. He organized a weekly gathering for IS Makassar where they would tour around the city together and sketch. Bang Enal double functioned his gallery/studio with IS Makassar office where the members can come and hang out everyday during the time he's in the gallery. For more on Fort Rotterdam, visit: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Rotterdam

LELONG a.k.a Pusat Pelelangan Ikan a.k.a Fish market 

The city of Makassar is famous for its seafood culinary. So I went to the infamous Lelong where Makassar people would go to buy real fresh fish. The price is competitive, stock is great, variety is excellent. The smell, well, what would a fish market be if it smelled like a French perfume. I bet they rarely see a sketcher doing his thing in this area hence I was swarmed from the time I pulled out my sketch book until I put it away because I couldn't see anything anymore with so many people around me. It's fun to be a live sketcher, right?

AKKARENA BEACH

What is a visit to Makassar without witnessing one of its most ancient tourist and native alike attraction, the sunset. Akkarena beach is a mere 5 minutes away from the infamous Pantai Losari. Where pantai Losari is not so much suitable for bathing anymore (pollution from the city poured into the seaside), Akkarena is where the native would go to in order to find fresher sea water, lots of water sport activities, good food and magnificent sunset.

Back to Jakarta

 This time I took enough sleep at home before boarding on the plane. Here are some images from my seat. 

I hope someday soon I can go back again to my hometown and sketch more sceneries that I didn't get to sketch this time.

33rd WorldWide Sketchcrawl San Francisco

Sempet ikut sketchcrawl di San Francisco tanggal 15 Oktober 2011 kemarin, yang datang ga gitu banyak, hanya sekitar 10 orang, tapi gambar mereka keren-keren bgt, dan beda-beda stylenya

Salah satu tempat yang ikonik dan terkenal di San Francisco, tepatnya di jalan Haight Street

Gatau kenapa waktu itu tertarik gambar mannequin ini, di depan toko tattoo, sebelahan sama toko yang di atas, namanya Mom's Body Shop

Pengamen dalam bus

MUSIK ADALAH JALAN HIDUP KAMI

Pengamen ini dijamin ada dalam bus AC pagi nomor 16 Lebak Bulus-Rawamangun. Membawakan tembang-tembang religious dan pop melayu. Suaranya khas dan renyah bagi kami para penumpang yang masih mengantuk karena kurang tidur.

Berbicara soal pengamen memang tidak ada habis-habisnya. Mereka adalah pemusik yang menyandarkan hidupnya pada sedekah dari pendengarnya atas musik mereka. Terkadang mereka menyanyi atau bermain alat musik seadanya hanya untuk bisa menyambung hidup hari itu saja, kadang juga mereka adalah musisi yang handal, dengan modal belajar musik otodidak dan dari belajar di jalan. Tema lagu merekapun amat sangat bervariasi: top 40 indonesia, top 40 barat, classic slow rock, religious islam, religious kristen, cult Ebiet G Ade, cult Iwan Fals, lagu-lagu daerah Betawi sampai pada lagu anthem "anak jalanan". Tergantung siapa yang menyanyikan, kita bisa menikmati, tapi ada juga yang asal-asalan. Dan seperti halnya pekerjaan yang lain, pengamen harus konsisten. Suara dan tehnik bernyanyi harus selalu dipoles. Ada beberapa pengamen dalam bus pergi-pulang kantor saya yang selalu saya harap dapat bertemu dan memberi mereka imbalan atas musik yang mereka bawakan bagi kami para pekerja/penumpang (contohnya pengamen diatas).

Pengamen ini bermain pas didepan saya. Jadi saya bisa membuat sketch detail raut muka dan penghayatan lagunya. Walaupun bahasa Inggris yang blepotan dan asal ucap, olah vokal dan musiknya top punya.

Yang satu ini temanya religious Kristen. Lagu favoritnya adalah El Shadai yang refnya diulang-ulang dengan penghayatan yang dalam. Layaknya didalam gereja dan kebaktian-kebaktian.
Tamara Rendi, seorang musisi jalanan dengan spesialisasi lagu-lagu religious kristen. Sangat bersahabat dengan penumpang dan para supir dan kernet. Kadang dia juga ikut memanggil2 para penumpang dan memberi "bocoran" info pada para kernet tentang bus yang sudah lewat atau yang belum. Pada saat selesai malah mengobrol dengan para penumpang dibelakang. Suaranya yang lantang, sengau dan khas (mungkin Batak atau Manado) bisa terdengar di belakang saat bercengkrama dengan penumpang lainnya. Dia juga sangat religious dan selalu menyempatkan diri bersaksi dan dalam Kristus dalam setiap aksinya. Sampai sekarang saya tidak tau apakah Rendi ini seorang laki atau perempuan, walaupun penasaran saya tidak akan cari tahu.

Ada juga yang tampangnya sangat nge-Rock tapi pada saat menyanyi malah membawakan ladu-lagu daerah dan tembang2 pop Betawi ala Benyamin n Ida. Yang membanggakan, dia membawakan lagu-lagu ini dengan campuran alunan musik kroncong dan latin classical (ala Marc Antoine n Santana). Hebat bukan?

Mari kita dukung terus para pengamen kita ini. Beri mereka sesuatu untuk lagu-lagu yang mereka bawakan untuk kita. Siapa yang tahu tentang nasib mereka apabila Pemda Jakarta tiba-tiba mentertibkan dan meniadakan keberadaan mereka dari alat transportasi umum kita? Yang tertinggal hanyalah sketsa-sketsa ini. Hidup musik, hidup para pengamen.

... and the bus keep on rolling.

"duk duk duk duk duk .. kosong kosong kosong kosong... ", "Putat, putat, putat, blokm, bulussss, bullusss, langsungggggg...."yelled them bus attendants. Them sounds are like songs to my ears now. As I spend evening after evening commuting from my workplace in Kuningan to Lebak Bulus, where home is, where my 2 little children, wife and spoiled dog at.

Here are sketches of my nightly sightseeing inside the transport (where I focused mostly upon my fellow commuters than the bus itself). Here to them fellow passengers who come home tired from whatever daily activities they have to meet their families and lovers at home, enduring the noise of Jakarta and melancholic street performers singing ballads of life and love inside the bus. Here to Jakarta heat and sticky nights.

IS- Jakarta Sketching & Sharing #7 : Kebun Binatang Ragunan

Untuk para penggemar dan pemerhati sketsa. Profesional, amatir, maupun pemula. Pria atau wanita, tua dan muda silakan datang. Kita mensketsa bersama.

Ditunggu kehadirannya!!!

IS