Mary Northmore-Aziz: The 'Western woman' in Abdul Aziz's art

Kadek Krishna Adidharma, Contributor, Ubud, Bali

Having been burned twice, skepticism is natural when it comes to matters of the heart. Talking to Mary Northmore-Aziz about her three-year journey researching and writing her late husband's biography, however, has led to a rekindling of faith: there is such a thing called love after all -- and some things are just meant to be.

Born on August 5th, 1949, in a small town called Taunton in Somerset, England, appreciation for art and love brought Mary to the artist community of Ubud in Bali, where she founded the Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women.

Visiting Mary at her home in Bali -- a house given to her late husband in exchange for a painting -- a brief tour of the property seems to cover a vast space of gardens, rooms, workshops and idyllic secluded areas.

The interview is conducted in the living room in full view of Hunger Strike, a favorite painting of a Balinese girl, so named because of what Mary did to obtain her.

Mary looks tired. She has just arrived back from a trip to Jakarta presenting the biography of her late husband Abdul Aziz: The Artist and His Art.

The intent is to inquire what it was like to write such a personal biography, but as she talks, an initial sorrow gives way to thoughtfulness and enthusiasm as she talks about Aziz. It seems Mary has her own story to tell.

"I came to Bali against my will," joked Mary.

Back in 1983, when her friends suggested coming to Bali, she retorted, "I don't like surfing or drinking that much, why should I go to Bali?"

The answer still rings in her memory today: "The art, darling, the art! You must visit Ubud!"

She was to take her last holiday from a position as Assistant Director of Studies, in which she organized teaching resources for the British Council in Hong Kong. The organization then had up to 16,000 students studying English as a second language.

Four years in Hong Kong, working a 15-hour day, 7-day week, broken up by extravagant parties and alcohol consumption, was starting to take its toll. Escaping the dense population and lack of green spaces, Mary journeyed two decades ago to a Bali with its green-to-golden terraced paddies, sleepy villages, and thriving artist community.

Little did she know that a dentist friend would introduce her to the simple man who would become her companion, an accomplished artist who had foreseen her in his art.

Like her, this soft-spoken Javanese man had spent several years in Italy, spoke Italian and had a great passion for art and travel. Perhaps Raden Abdulaziz Sumadihardja -- better known as Abdul Aziz -- a 10th-generation descendant of Kangdjeng Susuhunan Prabu Mangkurat Hagung Mataram, was the prince of her dreams, as she was in his.

Mary and Aziz met late in life, she in her 30s and he in his 50s. Neither had married previously. Both enjoyed their privacy, so they took their time getting to know each other. They courted long-distance for five years while Mary studied for her Masters degree in England, and from a closer range after she moved to Indonesia.

"In those days, (a Masters) involved doing three modules and a thesis, so I did the three modules in 20 weeks and came back to Bali to write my thesis. It soon became evident to me that my objective was to hang out in Bali. I had saved enough in Hong Kong for one year in England, but after 5 months I came to Bali with more than enough for a year in Bali -- especially with Aziz buying me lunch all the time," recalled Mary.

She went on to teach English in Bandung, West Java, with frequent weekends in Bali, and the two eventually got married in 1988 -- when Aziz was almost 60 years old.

The newlyweds enjoyed their privacy so much it took years before the people of Ubud, where they settled, realized they were husband and wife.

"It gave Ubud something to talk about," said Mary.

With his support, Mary established the first studio in Southeast Asia to display exclusively the work of women painters, giving space to those who had not been given a chance for exposure.

Of her late husband, Mary admitted, "I knew the result (of xxx)." And having written his biography, "I have a better understanding of the journey."

A year after Aziz died, Mary pulled herself out of an extended period of mourning and decided to write his biography. She spent three years researching his childhood, his life as an Indonesian Independence fighter, and his student years in Europe, as well as his life as an artist in Bali before they met.

"I regret I didn't know the young Aziz. He must have been amazing, full of ideas, not having time to sleep because he had so much inspiration," she said. "These young men of Aziz's generation were the lifeline of Indonesia. The fought for something they truly believed in."

"If you visit the graveyards of the heroes of Indonesia's revolution, you will see that those heroes who fought for Indonesia's freedom were mostly less than 25 years of age."

She was referring to the period of struggle between Indonesia's declaration of independence in 1945 and its acceptance by the Dutch and the United Nations in 1952, during which the nation's fledgling army fought against the Dutch forces trying to reoccupy Indonesia.

"I was surprised to see many Japanese names among those heroes -- Japanese who married locals, who decided to stay in Bali after the Second World War -- many of who also adopted Balinese names.

"Now you just don't see that commitment to nationalism. Aziz's time was a glorious time, when the youth of Indonesia did everything they could so that Indonesia could be free."

This is evident in Aziz's early art. His depiction of the revolution highlights the nurturing character of the men, in the way they comfort the women, cradle babies and play with children as they look out to a brighter future.

Later in life, Aziz hardly ever painted, choosing to make violins instead.

"I sense that Abdul Aziz could have found it disheartening how (heroes of Indonesia's independence and revolution) were let down with the subsequent corruption," said Mary.

"But I think it was more than that. The art buyers were different. A man I met during my research told me how he had begged to buy a painting when he was visiting Bali as a young diplomat. Aziz refused, so he came to visit and talked with Aziz from morning to night, two days in a row. Eventually, he walked away with not just the painting he had begged for, but also two others -- for a mere $40!

"Towards the 'nineties, (Aziz) had very insistent buyers offering exorbitant prices. One in particular struck me as crass -- she wanted to purchase a corner of Aziz's painting because that was the only part she liked."

During her detective work hunting down clues to her husband's past and work, many surprises awaited Mary. One that still sticks in her mind today is the recurring theme of the "Western woman".

As a child in Purwokerto, seeing the local dentist with a Caucasian wife, Aziz had apparently told his brother, "I want one of those when I grow up." Early portraits of Javanese women by Aziz often show his subjects with distinctly "Western" poses or facial features.

After they were married, she was once introduced to an old friend of Aziz's as Mary. "Of course!" the friend replied, and took her to view a 1967 painting of a beauty in a Balinese temple dress. "This must be you," he said.

"I'm still trying to work it out, said Mary. "How come there was a Mary -- before Italy -- and (a presence) even stronger after?"

"Why did he wait for me?"

The answer, perhaps, is written in Italian next to Aziz's signature on a pencil sketch titled Who Am I?: You are intelligent/Your heart is sweet/You seem unaware/Because you are simple/And you are like me.