Dolorosa Sinaga: Finding her own way<\/p>\n
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dolorosa Sinaga's second solo exhibition, currently being held at
\nNadi Gallery, underlines her continuous engagement with social
\nissues, which she explores primarily through the female form.<\/p>\n
The human body in its female representation continues to be
\nSinaga's metaphor to express the plight of the socially
\nmarginalized, discriminated and repressed in society<\/p>\n
While grief stood out in her first solo exhibition in 2001 --
\na retrospective of 20 years' active creative work -- and was
\nexpressed through lines and texture, particularly prominent in
\nthe undulating folds of dresses, this time, the artist peels off
\nthe layers, if any, to reveal the bare facts, leaving the
\nabstract -- a stylized purity of form.<\/p>\n
In her new collection, it seems Sinaga is making a statement
\n-- she has departed from her previous intense attachment to the
\nlegendary Kaethe Kollwitz -- she is now following her own path.<\/p>\n
In this sense, the sculpture titled Will find my way contains
\na double meaning.<\/p>\n
If one wants to know the situation of women, one only needs to
\nlook at Sinaga's sculptures, which changes with the tenor of time
\nand environment.<\/p>\n
For example, from the lifeless surrender as depicted in
\nOlympia, through a woman in an enclosure, and in Tragic Tendency
\n(1994), which depicts a lifeless female figure against the harsh
\nlattice of a cage, Dolorosa Sinaga goes on to express pain, grief
\nand immense suffering in the stirring dress folds and texture of
\nThe Grief, Sister take me to dance with you, a collection of
\nsculptures in 2001.<\/p>\n
But a growing strength has since then emerged from the depths
\nof desperation, and women from all walks of life now stand
\ntogether in a rare dynamic of solidarity as expressed in
\nSolidaritas (2000), Avante (2001)..<\/p>\n
Building strength from within did not happen overnight, but
\ninvolved a long process of overcoming and transforming pain into
\na power that was to liberate the women from the shackles of
\ndesperation.<\/p>\n
Resistante (1996) reveals the process of this transformation,
\nshowing a woman desperately trying to squeeze out the pain in her
\nbreast with one hand, while her other hand, hardly visible behind
\nher back, is clenched into a fist.<\/p>\n
In just a few years, women have become visible, albeit with
\nmany constraints still. In the political arena, they have
\nprogressed with their demand for a 30 percent quota for women
\nlegislators and, eliminating the age-old excuse that there are no
\nwomen qualified enough to be in leading political positions,
\nCetro (Center for Electoral Reform) has come up with 100 highly
\nqualified women who are eligible for the position of legislator.<\/p>\n
The recent issue of Inul, who has been intimidated with
\nreligious arguments and the accusation that her \"drilling\" dance
\nstyle may have caused an increase in rape cases, has met with
\nstrong support from the general public -- and quite ironically
\nfor Inul's accusers, they are confronted with the fact that all
\ntheir brouhaha appear to be counterproductive.<\/p>\n
Artists, women as well as men, housewives and activists, the
\nNational Commission on Violence Against Women -- and even former
\npresident Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid -- came to the defense of
\nthis village girl who had become victim to intimidation. If this
\nis a sign at all, then we may as well assume with Sinaga, that
\nnew avenues have indeed opened up.<\/p>\n
The sculpture Will find my way shows a woman going on her way
\nwith new determination, carrying her bag slung in a carefree
\nmanner over her shoulder. The piece represents woman's rise from
\nsuffering and grief, from being vulnerable and helpless to being
\nstrong and determined to go the way she has chosen, even if it
\nmeans going it alone.<\/p>\n
With some sculptures still exploring the depths of sorrow, the
\nexhibition strikes the viewer as a procession of important
\nmoments, providing insights to the process a woman undergoes as
\nshe struggles within herself, finally to rise empowered with new
\nhopes.<\/p>\n
It is easily detected through the titles of the pieces, that
\nposture represents a woman's moments of truth. Avante, a
\nsculpture showing women still clinging to each other, but with a
\nfew pointing to a new direction, gave the signal for women to
\novercome their social shackles.<\/p>\n
Will find my way may be a reassuring image when nervously
\nstepping into the new, awkwardly holding a bag in Crossing the
\nline. Proceeding further, the woman relaxes as other women follow
\nsuit, Leaving home. Holding each other for a while, as in The
\nThree Graces 2 and Embracing, they then each go their separate
\nways, Walking alone, and boldly as they Fear no power. Their
\ncourage is revealed as they challenge, Try me, and stand tall in
\nI, the witness.<\/p>\n
These skeletal, elongated figures with emaciated bodies
\nradiate a spirit freed from heavy burdens, and they even dance on
\ntheir way, in solitude as in The Dancer, or together as in Tari
\nRebana.<\/p>\n
As Sinaga continues to use the female body as her vehicle of
\nexpression, this should not distract from the fact that it is the
\nartist's metaphor to represent the human body to represent the
\nhuman being that is discriminated, marginalized, trampled on,
\nrepressed and abused, the very same body telling the story in
\ndifferent periods of time and through various stages in life. The
\nartist underlines this with her sculpture titled Satu kata saja:
\nLawan (Just one word: Oppose), paying homage to Wiji Thukul, the
\ngrassroots human rights poet who disappeared without a trace
\nduring the Soeharto New Order era.<\/p>\n
In Via Dolorosa, the title piece of the exhibition, Sinaga
\ntransparently shows whose side she is on. Challenging the world
\nin the pieces Fear no power, Try me, and Will find my way, she is
\nbursting with inexorable energy, and optimism, as she declares
\nthat truth will ultimately prove victorious.<\/p>\n
The Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature of 1982, Colombian
\nauthor Gabriel Garcia Marquez, has said that every great author
\nalways tries to write the same book over and over again -- it
\njust takes different forms. The core that compels the author or
\nartist to create, is always the same.<\/p>\n
It seems Dolorosa Sinaga, with her compelling oeuvre, is
\nproving him right.<\/p>\n
Via Dolorosa Solo Exhibition by Dolorosa Sinaga; April 29-May
\n13, 2003; Nadi Gallery, Jl. Kedoya Raya 53, Jakarta 11520;
\nPhone: (021) 581 8129 Fax: (021) 580 7984.<\/p>",
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