Two painters were playing chess beside a painting

Men playing chess beside a paiting — Two people playing chess in front of the artwork

Walking through the Sawah Besar district of Jakarta, I came to a place where small galleries or studios were gathered. There was a painter in each gallery, and there were pictures on display. Many of them are portraits. I guess people who want a portrait painting can ask for it in such a place.

But it's not every day that someone asks for a portrait painting. To my mind, there are only a few times in a person's life when they want a portrait. It's probably only at a turning point in your life, such as when you get married or have a child. And even on those few occasions, most people will probably end up with photographs. For common people, it seems to be a bit of a money-making hobby to try to commemorate something by painting.

The situation seems to be the same in Jakarta, where many painters gather. Most of the painters seemed not to be busy in the small gallery, although some were working on their paintings. If they don't get an order, they have nothing to do. There are various ways to pass the time in different countries and places. While some people play cards, some people play checkers, some people play mahjong, Jakarta seems to have a lot of people playing chess. Some of the painters here were playing chess with their colleagues. These were the two men in this photo. They were playing chess with serious faces as if their job was to move the pieces.

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