Acehnese artist tells of region's pain

Acehnese artist tells of region's pain

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): Is there room for artistic creativity in war-
torn Aceh? That is one of the questions that came to mind when I
learned about the works of Mahdi Abdullah, an artist who works
and lives in Aceh.

Next Monday, Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi), a
nongovernment environmental organization, will organize a fund
raising event for Aceh refugees, to be held at the Graha Niaga.
President Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to appear during the
event.

Mahdi's works will be exhibited from June 5 through to June 8
and some of them will be auctioned to benefit Aceh refugees.
Mahdi, who is in a formative stage of his artistic career, is
developing an artistic style through his depictions of the
suffering of the Acehnese.

Telah Luka yang Tak Berdosa (The Innocent have
Suffered) shows the torso of a woman with a crying baby beneath
her. The woman's head is bent to the left, while to the right of
the torso there is a dead bird. Above, there is a row of dead
trees, suggesting loneliness and sorrow.

About this work, the artist writes, "prolonged conflict in
Aceh has had an impact on the environment (birds, trees, women
and children)." Those are entities of hope which have been
destroyed.

"My art is a manifestation of the narrative of the reality of
humankind and the environment. I believe that the subject and
object that supports the reality of life also participates in
expression that is being processed."

The visualization of images without borders is built from
sediments that have settled in the brain, and then slowly stretch
outward until they touch reality in certain experiences, writes
the artist.

In other works, figures -- mostly women -- are seen in
refuge, taking their children and belongings that need to be
saved. Although many of them are shown without faces, the
expression of anxiety, distress and haste can be felt in the
painting.

There is an impression that the work, entitled Terusir dari
Tanah Sendiri, Evicted from Their Own Homeland, is like an
unfinished painting.

On the other hand, the work can also be seen as a finished
work composed with elements of sketches. The faceless figures are
not merely so because the artist has not completed their details,
rather, they suggest the fact that this painting is not merely a
record of a certain historical event but a daily phenomenon in
which anyone can suffer when they are forced to flee from their
homes.

The conditions in Aceh have certainly influenced Mahdi, and
have undeniably lead him to employ the sketch technique. However,
they have also influenced and stimulated his creativity to
explore new ideas. Mahdi is the chairperson of
the Fine Art Committee of the Aceh Art Council, artistic editor
and caricaturist of the Kontras tabloid and head of Media and
Technique Division of the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian
Architecture Association.

His paintings also depict everyday life in Aceh, when the
intensity of war briefly ceases. Religious life becomes a
significant theme. Islamic hope is what offers optimism among the
Acehese while war tears apart their homeland. Although
full of sorrow, the Acehese still want to make an effort to open
up their homeland to other societies and peoples.

This can be seen in Membuka Pintu, Opening Door, where a
woman dressed in traditional Aceh costume sits holding up a
container filled with fruit. The container, called ranub dalam
lampuan, symbolizes pemulia jamee, honor to guests, who are
visiting Aceh.

The woman sits with her head bowed, suggesting that she is
cautious in accepting guests. To the right of the canvas, a man
is making a great effort pushing a door open.

Above can be seen rainbow-like facets, symbolizing hope.
Apparently, artistic creativity and activity in war-torn Aceh is
actually a way of survival. Will the war and violence end? When?
Is there still hope? Art still offers some hope, at least for
Mahdi Abdullah.