Jeihan Sukmantoro (Solo, C. Java, 1938 - Bandung, W. Java, 2019) Family Portrait

Jeihan was best known for the black eyes in the figures in his paintings, which initially was a result of his failure in painting eyes realistically. Later, he realized that the black eyes served as a metaphor. Through the black eyes of the figures in his paintings, Jeihan suggests his viewers to always keep an open imagination about the things that could not be reached by the physical reach of humans alone through the open eye and to always look deeper and farther, like the black hole of the universe. In this painting, he painted a family of four. Forming a triangle. with the father on top, and the mother and son on the bottin, Their eyes are all black. A baby is also depicted, but he is breastfeeding, so his/eyes do not appear. Once more than a single figure is portrayed, the viewer’s attention is diverted from their blackened eyes, and the painting is no longer considered scary.
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 140 x 140 cm
Signature: signed and dated (upper right):”Jeihan ‘83”