Subject: [Arts, Sculptor] Hendrik Kartokario

Article:

Hendrik Kartokario is a semi-abstract sculptor. His works are chiseled and carved out of Surinamese wood. He has a unque style. The heads of his subjects are not necessarily proportional to the body. Hendrik explains that he did that as to emphasize the mind being superior to the rest of the body. His works consist of individuals, couples, and groups. Most of his works have a social theme. thus his works are named: 'Struggle for life', 'temptation', 'adultery' etc. Hendrik Kartokario was born on 18 December 1944 at the plantation Johanna Margaretha in the District of Commewijne. He finished elemenatry school and moved to Paramaribo to complete his MULO education. While in Paramaribo, he lived in with non-Javanese families. Although, he comes from a Javanese Muslim family he was brought up by Christian families. He became a teacher in Nickerie. He met his wife in Nickerie and lived there from 1965 to 1970. He lived in Wageningen from 1970 to 1980 and obtained a teachers diploma to teach mathematics and art. He was 27 when he started with his sculpture. His first work were two cats. Then he finished a sculpture of a human figure. Hendrik prefers to carve and chisel in mahogany wood. A careful study of a block of mahogany wood inspires him to create a piece of art. Sometimes, he abandons the block of wood as it does not seem to inspire him to continue working on it. --------


Met dank aan Albert Buys