In Memoriam, Arie Smit, 1916-2016

Last week we lost one of the finest and wonderful of people to ever call Indonesia home as an expat and citizen.  That was the Dutch born and world renown artist, Arie Smit, who first arrived in Indonesia as a soldier in the Dutch army in 1938.

Captured by the invading Japanese army in early 1942, he survived more than three years of forced POW labor building the infamous Burma railway in Burma and Thailand.

After his release, he returned to Indonesia and eventually settled in Bali in 1956.  At that time his artistic endeavors were limited to selling “souvenir” watercolors on the beaches of Sanur.  Eventually capturing the attention of art dealers and collectors, Arie’s fame as an Indonesian artist of incredible importance increased to the highest levels including examples of his work being included in major museums world wide. 

When I first met him some 16 years ago, when he was already 84, he was vibrant, gentle, unpretentious, and totally in love with the Paradise and the people of Bali which was his home. 

His vibrant, colorful impressionist paintings remain as his testament to the amazing life he enjoyed, and those same works remain as a testament to the profound beauty of his surroundings and the people of Bali and Indonesia. 

If you are unfamiliar with his work, you can view many here:

https://www.google.co.id/search?q=Arie+ … &dpr=1

Rest in peace, Ba Pak Arie.