Yogya Perek artists raise plight of women<\/p>\n
Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Gloom and doom reigns at the British Council in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The mood has been created by an art exhibit that draws
\nattention to the misery of women as represented by women figures
\nin a depressing state: poignant, nude, abandoned and even
\nheadless.<\/p>\n
The art works, paintings, drawings, sculptures and
\ninstallation pieces are the work of Yogyakarta female artists
\ngrouped under Perek. Set up last year, Perek comprises local art
\nstudents and expatriates who want to express themselves through
\nart.<\/p>\n
Perek aims to make the plight of women heard. It is named
\nprovocatively after a local derogatory term shortened from
\nPerempuan Eksperimen, or \"experimental women\", which simply means
\nprostitute.<\/p>\n
\"We want to give a new meaning to the term perek, women eager
\nto experiment in art,\" A. Lenny Ratnasari AS, a Perek member
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The works, however, do manage to get the message across --
\nexpressing the artists' concern over the stereotyping of women.<\/p>\n
One untitled painting by Sri Ambarwati Lestari is a seated
\nnaked woman wearing an expressionless mask with a big chain on
\nthe back of her neck. Next to her, a woman's head is staring at
\nher while on the chained woman's other side, a big hand is
\nholding a mask of a beautiful face of a woman.<\/p>\n
Other pieces by the 29-year-old artist, a student of the
\nYogyakarta-based Indonesian Institute of Arts who has taken part
\nin several exhibitions, are just as interesting. An untitled one
\nfeatures a bald woman clad in a low-cut dress looking at a white
\nboard with a circled question mark on the board.<\/p>\n
The two paintings portray women who have been denied freedom
\nof expression and are victims of chauvinism that places them in a
\nposition inferior to men.<\/p>\n
Sculptures by Lenny Ratnasari show the artist's unique, but
\ndirect representation of women, such as in one titled Pengantin
\nTunggal (Single Bride), or a wooden statue of a headless pregnant
\nwoman titled Bisa Tidak Laki-Laki Seperti I (Can Men Be Like I).
\nThrough the sculpture of the headless pregnant woman, the artist
\nwants the viewer to share the shame of getting pregnant out of
\nwedlock.<\/p>\n
Works by Lelyana are unique in that she prefers to express
\nherself using different media like charcoal, lipstick or a sheet
\nof paper.<\/p>\n
An installation piece by Heidi Arbuckle draws one's attention
\nnot only because it is placed near the exhibition room's entrance
\nbut because it centers on a sewing machine with a very long sheet
\nof white cloth stamped with popular brands like Gucci, Levi's and
\nmany more.<\/p>\n
\"I mean to try to draw attention to our relationship (as
\nmiddle class consumers) to the products that we consume. Is the
\nclothing that you wear 'fair' (now when people are struggling
\njust to make the ends meet)?\"<\/p>\n
The art exhibition at the British Council at Widjojo Center,
\nJl. Jend. Sudirman 71, Central Jakarta, will last until Feb. 16,
\n2002.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yogya-perek-artists-raise-plight-of-women-1447893297",
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