Ay Tjoe Christine

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas. There are indications of minor wear and handling around the edges, but the paint layers are well-preserved and stable. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed, on stretcher.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lama Sabakhthani Club is one of Ay Tjoe Christine's most important series. It marks the tipping point in her creative output that spurred an aesthetic shift, accompanied with a burst of energy previously unseen. As an artist who draws inspiration from her life and is driven by instinct and emotional expression, Ay Tjoe's life experiences and aspirations play a pivotal role in her work. Lama Sabachthani refers to the line, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabakhthani", from the gospel of Matthew, and refers to Jesus Christ's cry at the crucifixion before he died. It is translated into English as "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me". Biblical references and elements of Christianity are prevalent in Ay Tjoe’s repertoire, although they are featured merely as an element of her life experience, not indoctrination, and are relatable in a non-religious context.

Lama Sabakhthani Club describes a point of loneliness and despair so intense that black tears are shed, but more than that, it also describes a moment of joy so liberating that follows it, when grief connects her to the Maker most intimately. In her three-dimensional installations, the knowledge and feeling of being unconditionally loved that comes after despair is described with musical notes, such as a high, clear, ringing sound, like a metal pin on a bell. When it comes, it comes with an undeniable force. The Workers conveys this sensation of polar opposites in a most dramatic composition of black and white below an arch of rainbow-like layers of fragments.

Ay Tjoe Christine’s art has always been about the process of creation. She regards the act of painting and creating as a way to be constructive and to glorify the Maker. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advanced for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10).” In Ay Tjoe’s world, everyone has a purpose to fulfil, whether to harness inherent talent or to pay forward each grace received.

Straddling the line between abstraction and figuration, two figures dominate the picture plane, one in black while the other in white. Both are painted from the back, the outline of their bodies blurred among jagged polygonal structures and strong lines; only parts of their bodies identify them as humans. The figure in white is hunched down, seemingly in sorrow and surrender, while the figure in black comforts it. The man in black wears a crown, signifying power and authority, yet he is dressed more humbly than any king. Instead of a gold crown, his is fashioned out of steel. Instead of a mink cape, his is frayed and coarse. Only his deft, assuring arm around his friend depicted in a bold, unyielding black horizontal line is regal and betrays his royal status.

The Workers represents Ay Tjoe Christine’s perspective of mankind: hard working, humble, kind and benevolent. Works in the Lama Sabakhthani Club series explores the connection between being in anguish and being saved, The Workers pushes further the aftermath of surviving despair, finding joy and hope in grace. The emphasis on working, in this context, is to bring us closer to the apex of Lama Sabakhthani, when the distance between pain and joy is at its finest. To work is not only to fulfil a purpose, but ‘the’ purpose. Through this simple but profound composition, Ay Tjoe describes the ultimate blueprint: the significance of teamwork and partnership, the value of love, of giving, of working together to create a world of kindness, faith, hope and love.