ASEAN women painters hold up half the sky

ASEAN women painters hold up half the sky

By Pavan Kapoor

JAKARTA (JP): In commemoration of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) Women's Month, the organization's
secretariat is hosting the painting exhibition Holding Up Half
the Sky.

The exhibition's title, taken from an ancient Chinese proverb,
is fitting in this day and age that sees the enigmatic woman of
the nineties, reputed as caring yet tough, playing an undisputed
role in meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

ASEAN member countries signed a declaration on the Advancement
of Women in the ASEAN Region in 1988 and the secretariat was
given the task of monitoring the agreement's implementation.

Although the painting exhibition lasts only from Oct. 7 to
Oct. 31, it will be a prominent part of ASEAN's program schedule
this year, since it is the artists who are most often the vehicle
through which the dreams and aspirations of society find
expression.

The exhibition displays over 100 paintings of 23 women artists
hailing from several provinces in the country. The works indeed
provide insight into why women are gaining recognition in the art
world today.

Organized by Komseni and Galeri Langgam Seni, the exhibition
was officially opened by Pia Alisjahbana, who is the director of
the Jakarta Foundation of Arts and on the Femina Group's board of
directors.

The inspirational essence of womanhood is discernibly apparent
from the varied themes and graphic styles of the paintings. The
works cover a wide range of themes -- from women performing
everyday chores, as portrayed by Tuti Roosdiono, to performing
exotic Balinese dances, as painted by Diany Asmina Sinung.

From floral offerings and rustic scenes to more opulent
settings, the paintings reflect the artists' moods of love, peace
and personal courage. Each work conveys the creators' individual
sensitivities and esthetics of observed realities.

The exhibition was opened with a poem by Debra H. Yatim, which
touches on the liberation of a woman from the oppressions of life
through her enduring power of goodness and pristine womanhood. It
was read by Jajang C. Noer: I banished the dark/into the
light/And painted the world/with shimmering sights.

"The paintings are from a balanced blend of different
generations which will carry us to a rainbow of realistic
communication," says W. Moerany, the curator of Yayasan Seni
Rupa, in the exhibition's attractive catalog.

One of the renowned artists represented at the exhibition is
Kartini Sabekti, who had taken up painting full-time after having
resigned from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of her first
works, Si Kecil, Masa Depan Kita (The Kid, Our Future), depicts a
young girl cradling a cat. The girl was the daughter of her
housemaid with her favorite pet. From there Kartini expanded and
is now currently a member of Indonesian Women Painters
Association.

One of the first paintings to be sold before the opening was
Kapal Jepara (Boat of Jepara) by Mamiek Putut Agung. Having
studied painting at the Academy of Arts, she has been painting
ever since and is now a member of the Association of Indonesian
Painters (API). Mamiek, who confesses to being obsessed with the
theme of fishermen, produces works that boast a semi-realistic
slash of color with a touch of surrealism.

Although Indonesian painters have traditionally stuck to
realism in their contemporary themes and styles, the use of a
vast spectrum of colors has come on the artistic scene which
probes the psycho-spiritual desires of the artists themselves.

In paintings such as Kuda Genteng (Roof Tile Horse) by Wahyu
Ekowati M. and Apples and Roses by Antin Hoed, vivid colorings
work on the subconscious level to eventually synthesize into a
celebration of life and its mysteries.

Stark and unique, the paintings of Siti Roeliyati engage the
eye from afar. Her works experiment with forms by juxtaposing
black and white while merging them into shades of gray.

Another attempt at semi-surrealism is the painting Kama Sutra
by Yudha Iswari. A muted tone lends a sense of mystique to the
couple who seem to be preoccupied by gigantic butterflies
hovering nearby. A unique style, splashed with inspirational
themes from legends, is perhaps what makes Yudha's paintings come
alive.

Titi Roosdiono exhibited four oil paintings focusing on the
everyday life of women.

Playing with conflicting colors, Titi expresses the fact that
no one is perfect.

"In every day life, no one is perfect. If a painting is
perfect, it fails to be interesting to me. That's why the women
in my inspirations are depicted as such too," she explained.

An eye-catching collection was contributed by artist Ida
Hadjar Yw. Her large canvasses flaunt vivid colors brought out by
an ample use of white. She touches on rustic themes, again with a
touch of surrealism, through simplistic humanoid figures, all
outlined by bold streaks of black.

The exhibition is being held in tandem with various other
events, such as poetry readings and "An Evening of ASEAN Women's
Short Stories".