Asians of Chinese Roots in Our Time vol.5 ◆ Elicia Edijanto（Painter）
Elicia Edijanto: Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1987. Her watercolor paintings, which express her unique way of seeing the world, have attracted attention both at home and abroad. While working as a painter, she has also created cover art for many CDs and records of overseas artists, including the Japanese rock band Spitz. She is a second-generation Chinese Indonesian.
A World of Tranquility
Her watercolors are full of calmness.
Take "Over The Purple Night," for example. A dog and a child sit relaxed on what looks like a hazy, misty lakeside or seashore. The two look out over the calm surface of the water, and in the background is a series of gently sloping hills. Floating in the sky is the moon at dawn, known in Japan as the "Ariake Moon". Although painted in monochrome, this picture may actually show a pre-dawn sky tinted "purple."
At first glance, this place seems to be isolated from the rest of the world, but with the two of them sitting close together and the soft touch of a brush, there is no sense of loneliness. Rather, in the desolate landscape, one can feel the warmth emanating from those partner-like figures.
In terms of color, the style of using only black gradations makes the shadows stand out, and the richness of the color more apparent. In addition, the artist strips down both color and form to the limit, leaving a margin of imagination for the viewer and giving the work a sort of depth.
Isolation and warmth, or richness and depth created by scraping off excess. These seemingly contradictory elements harmonize beautifully in a world of profound tranquility.
This piece was painted by Elicia Edijanto, a Jakarta-based painter. It was used as the cover art for the Japanese rock band Spitz's single "Murasaki no Yoru wo Koete (Over The Purple Night)" .
Elicia was born in Indonesia, which is said to be "the largest Chinese nation in Southeast Asia," and she is also one of the Indonesian Chinese with roots in Fujian Province.
In the 1970s, my father came to Indonesia when he was 15 years old to make a better life for himself and his family. His father -- that is, my grandfather -- had a good friend here in Jakarta who ran a business on hardware tools and my father worked with him and to learn about the business. My father became an Indonesian citizen soon after, but we've always celebrated Chinese New Year, watching a popular Chinese TV program and preparing 紅包 ("red pocket") as a New Year's gift. My parents and the older generation of my family still have a Chinese mindset and practice a Chinese way of life.
Younger generations like mine, who were born and raised in Indonesia, are usually more accustomed to the local environment and lifestyle. We are more welcoming to several things, such as religion. Indonesia is a multi-religous
country, and while most of our elders still believe in Buddhism or Taoism, our generation is more flexible in exploring their own beliefs.
For me, nationality is one thing that is less important than the awareness that we are all one bigger race, that is, the "Earth race." On top of that, China is like an anchor to me. I love the Chinese pursuit of harmony with nature, the practice of going with the flow and letting go, or the teachings of patience, and wish to be able to embody these values in my life.
Embracing Uncertainty
Elicia has loved to draw and paint ever since she can remember. While she was painting, she felt herself healing.
One of her most vivid childhood memories is "the smell of colored pencils and crayons." Even when her parents took her to bookstores, she was drawn more to the stationery section than to the bookshelves.
Elicia studied painting when she entered the graphic design department at Tarumanagara University, one of the oldest private universities in Indonesia. In order to develop her own style, she continued to paint different types of pictures one after another during her studies. She repeated trial and error as her curiosity led her, from realism to abstraction, including watercolor, oil, pastel, pencil paintings, and even photography.
A number of experiments led to the current style of watercolor painting, which uses gradations of black in a technique called "wet-on-wet." In this technique, one color is applied, and before it dries, another color is dropped to create a blurring effect. In Japan, it is called "tarashikomi," and is said to have been started by Tawaraya Sotatsu of the Rinpa school. Like Sotatsu's "Bulls," Elicia overlays black on black with different shades to create that striking gradation.
There are many artists who have influenced me deeply, including Japanese painters Higashiyama Kaii and Arai Yoshimune. What I have learned from them in particular is the simplicity and its effectiveness, namely the ability to capture such deep pondering and tranquility with so little detail.
I'm an anxious person. So it's important to follow a routine in my life. I also feel like everything has to be perfect. Nevertheless, there are many difficulties in life that I do not anticipate.
The Japanese teaching of "wabi-sabi" was a great inspiration for me. I understood that it is fine to make something uncontrollable, imperfect, or incomplete. That is how life works. And I learn a lot from practicing with watercolor. When paint is applied to a wet paper surface, it will flow on its own and cannot be completely controlled. But often, the unpredictable results are very beautiful.
I myself am still on a long journey and have a lot to learn, but I will continuously put my mind to "embracing uncertainty."
In addition to her watercolors, there are other events that have had a profound impact on her view of human life. Let's rewind the clock a bit to take a closer look.
“Evil and kindness in human nature
are inseparable”
At the time, Elicia was a 10-year-old girl. Next to her, her mother, with an anxious look on her face, was hurriedly stuffing her belongings into a carry-on case. Usually, the streets of Jakarta are bustling with people enjoying street food and shopping, but on that day, the city was filled with a different kind of noise.
The girl's eyes saw thick black clouds heavily covering the city. Black smoke billowed from buildings engulfed in flames. Her chest tightened at the dull smell of ashes carried by the wind.
Before long, large drops of rain began to fall on the city. Muffled by the sound of the rain, the sound of bullets shot at the students rang out in the distance. But it was not until much later that the girl heard the sound ----
The Jakarta Riots of May 1998 were a tragedy born of a combination of the Asian currency crisis of the previous year, the Suharto dictatorship that lasted for 30 years, and prejudice against the Chinese people.
In response to the Asian currency crisis that spread throughout Southeast Asia, the government launched a series of economic policies. However, this caused domestic prices to rise sharply and put pressure on people's livelihoods. There was smoldering discontent with the administration among the public.
Amid all this, security forces opened fire on students holding an anti-government rally at Trisakti University in Jakarta, killing four people. This triggered civil unrest that was directed at Chinese Indonesians, who were regarded as cozying up to the regime and controlling the economy. The exact extent of the damage is still unknown, but according to some accounts, more than 1,000 people were killed throughout the country, many of them Chinese.
At the time, Elicia and her family simply stood by in fear, ready to evacuate at any time. As it turned out, Elicia's family and neighbors made it through without having to evacuate, but the painful memories of the few days were etched deep into her heart.
It was only when I grew up that I learned what really happened during the Jakarta Riots. I gradually came to understand through the Internet and the stories I heard from other people. Many of those stories were horrific.
That incident has greatly affected my perspective on human nature. People have innate "evil" quality which is truly and utterly dark, sad, and devastating.
But at the same time, there were many stories of good people who helped each other during the riots. These were the showcases of people's "kindness," which was as powerful and extraordinary as the violence.
Evil and kindness in human nature are inseparable. Even if the world had only one race and one religion, there would still be conflict. Evil will always find its place, but so does kindness.
After graduating from the university, Elicia found a position at an Indonesian design company. She recognized that while it was a job she could use the skills she had acquired, it wasn't the kind of work she could pursue her own style.
At the design company, she experienced a variety of design-related tasks, ranging from branding of corporate philosophy, web design, creation of promotional materials like poster and brochures, and product packaging.
The turning point came in 2014. Elicia's work, which she had been posting online as a hobby, caught the eye of a social media editor. Once featured on that site, it set off a chain reaction that brought her to public attention.
Day after day, more and more people contacted Elicia to commission or purchase her artwork. After much deliberation, she chose to live a professional painter.
I feel that it is a rare thing to be able to live as a painter, which I have always dreamed of. I've always been drawn to doing purposeful work that I'm deeply passionate about, and I don't take it for granted.
Over The Purple Night
One day, Elicia received an email from the record company Universal Music Japan. When she clicked on the e-mail and looked down at the text, she gasped. It was a request to create cover art for Spitz's single "Murasaki no Yoru wo Koete," commemorating the band's 30 year anniversary.
For a moment, she thought it was a dream. She couldn't believe that the email came from her favorite band. She read it over and over again, but it was definitely written to her. If it's not a dream, she couldn't pass up this precious opportunity.
"Murasaki no Yoru wo Koete" was initially planned as a digital release only, but was later sold as a CD and 7-inch record. The piece which I introduced at the beginning of this article was the one adopted for its cover art. A simple but profound concept fits well with the weight of the record.
The first time I listened to the song after its release, I almost cried. It is truly a beautiful song. The melody, lyrics, and all the other elements sound hopeful and comforting. I genuinely feel humbled and honored to have been involved in this project through the cover art.
Spitz "Murasaki no Yoru wo Koete"
（spitzclips）
Cover art for CDs, records, and digital distribution is one of the areas where Elicia does a lot of work. She has provided artwork for records and CDs of Norwegian progressive heavy metal band Leprous and American singer-songwriter Ryan O'Neal's musical project Sleeping At Last.
Music plays a very important role in the creative process. Music immerses me in the inner world and evokes certain feeling or atmosphere that I want to put in my artwork.
For me, music is the most direct form of art. It connects directly to your feelings. Everyday I play music in my room. I can't imagine a day without music.
The "Buddha" in Us
There are some recurring motifs in Elicia's paintings, such as a child, animals, trees, and the moon. Among them, "Buddha" is a little different.
The Buddha depicted by Elicia has one feature; it is full of "humanity." It does not radiate superhuman air, nor does it exude unapproachable majesty. The image of the Buddha cuddling up to other animals or facing them as if in conversation creates a sense of familiarity.
The work I found particularly interesting was "Lux Aeterna." In a wasteland-like setting where migratory birds flit about, a boy is in a posture of drooping his head, sinking into a world of introspection. In the distance, a faint shadow of the Buddha sitting in a dignified manner appears, as if enveloping the boy.
I intuitively received this message on my first occasion to see the work: when one seriously considers someone or something other than oneself, that person possesses the same humanity as the Buddha. The Buddha depicted here is not a being who is separated from ordinary people. Nor is it a scene of some dramatic miracle. In our daily life, we will sincerely pray for the happiness of others as well as our own. We will also be mindful of the pain of others as well as our own. This work may show us that Buddha exists in such human behavior.
I'm not a religious person, but I respect Buddhist teachings as well as other religions. I don't usually depict "grown" human in my paintings. However, Buddha is an exception.
I feel like Buddha is closest to us in that he was not originally a God or the supreme deity. He was born human just like us all. So it's important to portray him in a "humanly" manner.
I can't articulate it well, but perhaps the feeling I have for the Buddha is something like "envy." With an understanding of the way of the world and suffering, he has attained a state of peacefulness, which is reflected in his facial expression. What does it feel like?
The act of painting the Buddha is also an act of soothing myself, and the energy of the painting is directly connected to my own energy. When I see the presence of the Buddha, I am reminded of kindness and compassion.
Connection of Life
Not many things appear in Elicia's paintings. Sometimes their combinations are so outlandish and even surreal. Yet they seem to be connected to one another through far-flung circuits.
One of the reasons for this impression may lie in the flat relationship between the objects depicted. Elicia's works show us that there are no barriers between humans, animals, and nature, and that life exists through mutual support.
I find that nature has healing and redeeming powers. When I turn to nature, I feel we can learn so much from them. Trees teach us to never rush and to cherish each day. Animals kill to eat, not to hurt each other.The moon, flowers, and oceans have their own cycles. Everything has its own time.
The human being is also a part of nature. Looking at all life in its great cycle, we can see that life not only exists individually, but is also built on a circle of relationships. Elicia's paintings seem to be rooted in a view of life that seeks "connection" and "harmony."
I want to experience many feelings, have the courage to experience even the uncomfortable ones, and turn them into wisdom and insight into the nature of life. I wish to be able to put those experiences more fluently into my works, and share them with people around the world. And I hope whoever sees my work can feel that they are not alone.
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Interview and composition / Shizuku Kawauchi
Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1991. Graduated from Peking University in January 2020 with a master's degree in Chinese literature (majoring in modern Chinese literature). Has been working for a magazine in Tokyo since February of the same year, and has been a freelance writer and translator since February 2022.
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