Kunstmakelaardij Metzemaekers
Op deze pagina vindt u een overzicht van kunstenaars waarvan u op deze site meer informatie kunt vinden.

Ngantung, Henk

Manado, North Sulawesi, 1 maart 1921 - Jakarta, 12 december 1991

Biografie: Henk Ngantung

Hendrik Hermanus Joel Ngantung better known as Henk Ngantung was an Indonesian painter, Deputy Governor and then Governor of Jakarta briefly between 1964 and 1965. Henk Ngantung was the first Chinese-Indonesian and Christian to serve as Governor of Jakarta in the post-Independence period.

Ngantung was also a self-taught painter without any formal education. Together with Chairil Anwar and Asrul Sani, he co-founded the Indonesian artistic movement Gelanggang (meaning the arena). He was also the president of the board of the China-Indonesia Friendship from 1955 to 1958.

He became Deputy governor of Jakarta during the reign of governor Soemarno Sosroatmodjo. President Sukarno entrusted him of turning Jakarta into a city of culture based on his work as an artist. After holding the post of deputy governor from 1960 to 1964, he succeeded Soemarno Sosroatmodjo as governor of Jakarta but very briefly 1964–1965 before Soemarno Sosroatmodjo retaking the position in 1965 again briefly until 1966. His appointment was vehemently opposed for his left-wing ideology with some opponents accusing him of being a communist.

From 1965 onwards, he consecrated his life to the arts. He lived in poverty, suffered bad health and developed heart disease and glaucoma. He lost eyesight completely in his right eye, and just 30% vision in the left eye, but continued painting with great difficulty. In 1990, the Chinese Indonesian businessman and philanthropist Ciputra sponsored Henk Ngantung's one and only official exhibition just a month before his death in 1991.

Henk Ngantung was married to Hetty Evelyn "Evie" Ngantung Mamesah and they had four children, Maya, Genie, Kamang and Karno Ngantung.

Lees verder
Werken in het archief (2)
Signatuur

 

Expositie: De rijke wereld van Thomas van der Linden verdient een nieuwe generatie kijkers.
Laatste week, donder- vrijdag en zaterdag van 13.00 tot 17.00 uur. Andere dagen op afspraak.