Sindudarsono Sudjojono (1913-1985)

A portrait of Magdy Wawrzyniak

signed 'S Sudjojono' (upper left); signed with initials, numbered, annotated and dated 'SS/101/Jak /1965' (upper right)

oil on board, 61x45 cm

Provenance:
-Collection Mr Andrzej Wawrzyniak, father of the sitter Magdy -Tow. Przyjaciól Sztuk Pieknych W Kraowie (a label of the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts is attached to the reverse).

Andrzej Wawrzyniak (3 December 1931 - 8 November 2020) was a Polish ambassador who collected art objects from the Pacific and Asia during his career. This led to the establishment of the Pacific and Asia museum in 1973 after his collection was donated to the Polish state. At that time it numbered 4000 pieces of art and ethnographical objects from Indonesia amassed during his 9-year tenure as a diplomat in that country. Such a private collection was unusual in terms of its value and volume, which was rare at that time. While Andrzej Wawrzyniak was working in the diplomatic service in Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan, he travelled to almost all countries throughout Asia, and Australia including most of Oceania, although it was Indonesia that inspired him the most. For this reason, the first name of the museum was the Museum of Nusantara Archipelago, as that region is known in the Malaya language. The donator has received a nomination for the position of director, a function he performed until 2013. On 1 January 1976, the name was changed to the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, which began to gather collections from other regions besides Indonesia. Nowadays, thanks to the activity of the founder and the generosity of donators, it houses over 23 000 objects originating from almost every country within the Asian continent and most of Oceania.