Topeng Monyet di depan Katedral, Semarang

This painting depicts a Topeng Monyet performer and his monkey, a traditional street performance once common in Java and often seen around the area of Cathedral Church in Semarang. Rendered in a realistic yet symbolic manner, the man wears a dark pointed hat and a shirt reading “FEARLESS,” holding a staff and a box, while the monkey perches calmly on his arm, linked by a chain. The muted green and brown tones create a contemplative, almost theatrical mood, shifting the scene away from spectacle toward quiet endurance. The work speaks of companionship, resilience, and identity, as the man’s steady gaze mirrors the monkey’s silent awareness, forming a subtle dialogue between humanity and nature, control and care, bound together by shared survival.

Made in Semarang, 2009
Artist: Jemmy Lauy
(One of the first students of Dullah, the renowned Indonesian maestro)
Media: Oil on canvas
Size:
Artwork – 65 x 75 cm
Frame – 91 x 81 cm