Balinese women venture into new area:; The fine arts

By Carla Bianpoen

JAKARTA (JP): The exhibition of 34 Balinese women painters currently running at the Bentara Budaya, Jakarta, may well be a sign of changing trends in the role of women in Bali.

Until fairly recently, the fine arts on Indonesia's most famous island used to be the privilege of men only. Although artists like Ni Made Suciarni (born 1932)) and Dewa Biang Raka (1937) have been working in the arts for about forty years at a stretch, their names have not appeared in the usual records of Balinese artists. In fact, this is not surprising. It runs parallel with the story of Emiria Sunassa (born 1894) the Menadonese-born wife of the Sultan of Tidore, who can be considered Indonesia's first female painter. She merited several awards, and was among the first members of the national painters group Persagi, but until recently her name was rarely mentioned in histories of Indonesian art.

Some observers wonder whether the visibility of Balinese women artists comes from increased self-confidence, or have been triggered by the women's economic needs and interventions by a person like Mary Northmore, the driving force behind the Seniwati Gallery.

Displays like the one organized by the Bentara Budaya in cooperation with the Seniwati Gallery provide new and interesting dimensions in the Indonesian art scene. The exhibition ends Oct.21.

While most of the works exhibited in Jakarta two years ago depicted images of the exotic in a conventional style, the current show provides an amazing diversion. In general the artists draw on old subject matters such as the landscape, daily life in the market, the cultural and the mythical. Additions, however, abound. Flowers and gender issues have started to feature. There is a fascinating liberation of possibilities.

Suciarmi and Dewa Biang, the most senior of the artists, have continued in the conventional style, as have some others as well. Somehow, however, they have been touched by change. This is evident in Dewa Biang's Burung Garuda diatas Gunung yang Bersalju (Garuda above snowy mountains) which shows an "untraditional" element of energy.

Most of the younger artists in this exhibition reveal the distinct influence of painters like Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet or Arie Smit who all contributed to the general development of Balinese art. Interestingly, some of these women have had no previous schooling but appear to have developed a style of their own. Gusti Agung Galuh (born 1960), who comes from a family of painters, has a style reminiscent of Walter Spies. Membelah Kelapa Muda (Cropping Young Coconuts) draws attention by its translucent depth and the highlighting of certain areas within a dark scene of protruding palm trees. Ni Made Sudarmi (born 1974) is represented by several paintings in several styles, with Ke Pura (Going to the Temple) drawing immediate attention. Depicting women going to the temple at dusk, the atmosphere is one of spiritual melancholy.

Ni Made Ida Utari (born 1970) who started painting when she was seven, prefers flowers. They are realistic, but the colors are sometimes quite eerie. Her Bunga Mawar Ungu (Purple roses), for instance, evokes a sense of death, something she faces often, being a nurse at a community health center.

Ni Made Sri Astuti (born 1973) developed a style which makes a connection to the thrill of color and the novelty of women's public visibility at the same time. In Ibu dan Anak (Mother and Child) she covers the mother's face with both hands as if being to shy to be exposed.

Amalia Amini (born 1950) comes from Kalimantan and her paintings bear the origins of her childhood. There is a striking similarity with the paintings of Emiria Sunassa, reflecting the latter's experiences in Kalimantan.

Kadek Murniasih (born 1966) deserves special mention. Without formal education in the arts, Murniasih has managed to achieve an intriguing level of artistry. According to Mary Northmore, almost all of Murniasih's paintings are tinted with feminist elements. Obsessed by women's reproductive system, Murniasih's Akuarium (Aquarium) is said to reflect life in the womb. It is not quite clear what the artist meant when she put butterflies (or dragon flies?) in the aquarium, nor are there any details about her personal life which might have triggered her particular interest in gender issues. Murniasih started exploring art at the age of 22 years. Although she has no formal art schooling, she seems to be a fast learner with great potential.

Gallery

The Seniwati Gallery in Ubud is very much the brainchild of Mary Northmore, who has been its director from the very beginning. The Gallery's objective is to promote, support and encourage female artists who live and work in Bali.

As the founder, director and organizer of the Gallery, Mary can boast significant successes. The founding members were foreign, Balinese and other Indonesian women. Now the group has 34 artists of whom 20 are Balinese and 14 from other parts of Indonesia. They comprise both traditional and academically trained artists who benefit from Mary's active promotion outside of Bali. This includes the arrangements of exhibitions, sales, and exchange.

The exchange of artists with foreign colleagues coming to the Gallery to work and the Gallery's members traveling abroad has, according to Mary, had an empowering effect on the artists which is evident in the diversion from the usual styles.

Pursuing the empowering factor of the gallery's objectives, a sanggar was set up for girls aged 5-17 years. This will need some time to bear significant fruit, judging by the children's paintings in the current exhibit. Although they may be talented, most of the paintings are no more than drawings of elementary level.

Meanwhile, a number of women artists have found their own identity and are going their separate ways in the Ikatan Seniwati Bali, the Association of Balinese Women Artists. They endeavor to hold their own exhibitions. Some have won national and international acclaim.