Artistic Nation

The go-to expert on Indonesian art, Dr Oei Hong Djien spots emerging talent before they become celebrity artists.

An art collector of more than 30 years, Dr Oei Hong Djien is said to possess the most comprehensive collection of early works by the who’s who of Indonesian masters, including Affandi, S Sudjojono, Srihadi Sudarsono, Lee Man Fong, Widayat and Hendra Gunawan, that is available for public viewing.

As for contemporary art, Dr Oei owns pioneering works by artists who have achieved mixed levels of success like Nasirun, Entang Wiharso, Pupuk DP, Eddie Hara, Heri Dono, Agus Suwage, Ugo Untoro, I Nyoman Masriadi, Dedy Paw and Yuswantoro Adi.

He was among the fi rst few collectors to spot young talent like the Jendela Group namely Rudi Mantofani, and other artists like Putu Sutawijaya and Masriadi before they catapulted to stardom and fetched enormous sums of money at international auctions. Having him as a client is probably the best endorsement for any emerging artist.

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