Dewi Sri stoops to conquer in Widayanto exhibition<\/p>\n
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
From Tuesday to Thursday, Dewi Sri the rice goddess will come
\ndown from on high to the newly installed paddy fields at Galeri
\nNasional in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Is this a stunt or just some figment of a wild imagination, a
\ndream or wishful thinking?<\/p>\n
Perhaps it is a bit of everything, but whatever it may be,
\nnoted ceramic artist F. Widayanto is going to make it happen.
\nKnown for his bizarre imageries visualized in exaggerated forms
\nrepresenting images from Javanese mythology, the artist has
\nmolded 30 guises of the goddess -- who is revered as the goddess
\nof prosperity and worshiped by farmers to implore fertile rice-
\nproducing fields -- in what is partly titled a "ceramic
\nsculptures fashion show".<\/p>\n
Legend has it that Dewi Sri was born out of an egg that the
\ngod Anta brought to Batara Guru. When Dewi Sri developed into a
\nbeautiful princess, Batara Guru is said to have fallen in love
\nwith her, much to the sorrow of the other gods who then conspired
\nto have her killed and buried in a secret place.<\/p>\n
Miraculously, as she was being buried, from her eyes grew the
\nplant that is called padi.<\/p>\n
The goddess whom the Javanese and Balinese call Dewi Sri is
\nNyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri for the Sundanese, Indoea Padi for the
\nMinangkabau of Sumatra, and lives on by many different local
\nnames throughout the archipelago. She is the gentle and
\napproachable mother, the mother of the universe, the gracious
\ndonor of wealth, fortune and success, the protector of harvests
\nwho destroys evil.<\/p>\n
In India she is the Hindu Devi, a deity believed to be a
\ncosmic force -- destroying demonic forces that threaten world
\nequilibrium -- a gracious bestower of blessings, wealth, fortune
\nand success, as a local protector of villages and towns, a semi-
\ndivine force manifesting herself through fertility spirits and
\nother supernatural forms, and also coming down to earth as a
\nmodel for earthly women.<\/p>\n
In short, she is all in one, and renowned for her particular
\nbeauty.<\/p>\n
No other goddess can surpass Dewi Sri in the reverence she
\ninspires on the Hindu island of Bali. Every day and seen
\neverywhere is the cili (effigy) as her manifestation, made from
\nneatly woven palm or lontar leaves to complement decorations or
\nsmall offerings. In Central Java, she is worshiped as the
\nprotector of farmers, having the power to destroy evil and
\nprevent pests.<\/p>\n
The anima of rice cult, she is honored in many ways, including
\nthrough her representation, such as an hourglass figure made from
\nrice stalks, or woven from coconut leaves, and the shrines made
\nof bamboo or stone that are a common sight in the rice fields.<\/p>\n
Myths and legends of old never fail to fascinate and inspire.<\/p>\n
"For me, they were the bedtime stories that lifted me into the
\nrealms of dream and fantasy," said Widayanto, whose eight
\nprevious solo exhibitions were all inspired by Javanese
\nmythology. However, creating the various guises of the goddess
\nhas been a different experience from the previous efforts.<\/p>\n
There is no absurdity, no comical presentations, but figures
\nthat transcend into the ultramodern without neglecting the
\ngoddess' traditional importance. And, though exaggeration of the
\nbreasts has been toned down, the sensual remains as prominent as
\nin his previous works.<\/p>\n
Widayanto says he wanted to make contemporary representations
\nof the goddess that would be compelling in blending symbolic
\nmeanings with modern significance.<\/p>\n
What better mode than having the goddess come down in the
\nguise of 30 mannequins going over the catwalk amid ripening
\npaddy! With different types and faces, the sculptures are
\nwrapped, or semi-wrapped, in intricate, fashionable and colorful
\noutfits befitting a queen.<\/p>\n
Recreating the atmosphere of the village and paddy fields at
\nGaleri Nasional, where the catwalk is made from real growing
\npaddy and with birds chirping in the background, will heighten
\nthe ambience -- one may feel in a world of antiquity and the
\nfuture at the same time. Adding to the authentic feel is the
\nserving of snacks made of rice, as well as other refreshments, in
\nthe traditional Javanese village style on opening night.<\/p>\n
Franciskus Widayanto is a graduate of the ceramic section of
\nthe School of Fine Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of
\nTechnology (1981). Noted for an equal commitment to supporting
\ntraditional art and expressing his individuality, he uses clay to
\nmaterialize ideas derived from his fascination with the ancient,
\nJavanese world. Besides ceramics, the 50-year-old artist is also
\nskilled in drawing and painting, as will be evident in a side
\nexhibition at Galeri Nasional. In 1991 he set up PT Widayanto
\nCitra Tembikarindo to produce functional and decorative items,
\nincluding accessories.<\/p>\n
Dewi Sri - Nyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri; Ceramic Sculptures Fashion
\nShow; By F. Widayanto; Galeri Nasional, Central Jakarta (Opposite
\nGambir Railway Station); Opening June 17 at 7 p.m. - June 19, 2003<\/p>",
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