 Sonnega who worked as a textile designer in Batavia in 1935 first
come to Bali before the Second World War. After the war settled in Ubud in Bonnet’s
old studio in Puri Kaleran and dedicated himself solely to painting. His style is fresh
and unique, clearly influenced by his designer training and background. It is very
influenced by Art Deco and often graphic, however, his larger canvases often transcend
these limitations and can even be thought to have a mystical impact. He also made many
portraits, usually of doe eyed young men (he was in the words of a long time Ubud
expatriate euphemism a member of the "club"). These are very stylized and use a
brightpalate with strong outlining of his subjects. Sonnega, like Bonnet, stayed in Bali
until 1957 when he was forced to leave by the Indonesia authorities in the era of
Confrontation. Agung Rai has a significan collection of Sonnegas, though his best
paintings are to be found in Jakarta in the hands of private collectors and the Dute Fine
Arts Foundation. |
