AUKE SONNEGA (Dutch, 1910-1963)

Born in 1910 in Holland, Sonnega was born to a freethinking parents whom find solace in the Theosophical Society – a society which objective was to achieve spiritual enlightenment. At his tender age, Sonnega and his brother would attend classes hosted by the society to awaken children to their spiritual potential. This spiritual experience was later on put a lasting mark to Sonnega and his art.

Gamelan is one of the most intriguing reoccurring themes throughout Sonnega's artistic endeavour. Sonnega was viscerally impacted by Balinese music. Passionate about Balinese music, Sonnega wrote some articles about Balinese gamelan. He would later write, "The air was vibrating with the clash of cymbals and the gamelan orchestras played…frenzied and bewitching Balinese music". Entrenched by the energy and liveliness of Balinese gamelan music, Sonnega would then translate his rendition of Balinese gamelan's tonality and intensity into his remarkable paintings, increasingly experimenting on psychedelic colours and compositions as echoed in Ceremony at the Temple. Sonnega first explored the untouched island of Bali together with Arie Smit. This resulting in the evidence of direct artistic influence on both artists, especially their portraits of young men.

Dominating in yellow and green, these colours offering the sense of enigma, portraying a man reminiscing his adolescence years in celebrating the spiritual life. Ceremony at the Temple offers an insight to Sonnega's interpretation of spirituality as an artist through obscure imagery of Bali's spiritual activity.