Dewi Sri stoops to conquer in Widayanto exhibition

Dewi Sri stoops to conquer in Widayanto exhibition

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta

From Tuesday to Thursday, Dewi Sri the rice goddess will come
down from on high to the newly installed paddy fields at Galeri
Nasional in Central Jakarta.

Is this a stunt or just some figment of a wild imagination, a
dream or wishful thinking?

Perhaps it is a bit of everything, but whatever it may be,
noted ceramic artist F. Widayanto is going to make it happen.
Known for his bizarre imageries visualized in exaggerated forms
representing images from Javanese mythology, the artist has
molded 30 guises of the goddess -- who is revered as the goddess
of prosperity and worshiped by farmers to implore fertile rice-
producing fields -- in what is partly titled a "ceramic
sculptures fashion show".

Legend has it that Dewi Sri was born out of an egg that the
god Anta brought to Batara Guru. When Dewi Sri developed into a
beautiful princess, Batara Guru is said to have fallen in love
with her, much to the sorrow of the other gods who then conspired
to have her killed and buried in a secret place.

Miraculously, as she was being buried, from her eyes grew the
plant that is called padi.

The goddess whom the Javanese and Balinese call Dewi Sri is
Nyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri for the Sundanese, Indoea Padi for the
Minangkabau of Sumatra, and lives on by many different local
names throughout the archipelago. She is the gentle and
approachable mother, the mother of the universe, the gracious
donor of wealth, fortune and success, the protector of harvests
who destroys evil.

In India she is the Hindu Devi, a deity believed to be a
cosmic force -- destroying demonic forces that threaten world
equilibrium -- a gracious bestower of blessings, wealth, fortune
and success, as a local protector of villages and towns, a semi-
divine force manifesting herself through fertility spirits and
other supernatural forms, and also coming down to earth as a
model for earthly women.

In short, she is all in one, and renowned for her particular
beauty.

No other goddess can surpass Dewi Sri in the reverence she
inspires on the Hindu island of Bali. Every day and seen
everywhere is the cili (effigy) as her manifestation, made from
neatly woven palm or lontar leaves to complement decorations or
small offerings. In Central Java, she is worshiped as the
protector of farmers, having the power to destroy evil and
prevent pests.

The anima of rice cult, she is honored in many ways, including
through her representation, such as an hourglass figure made from
rice stalks, or woven from coconut leaves, and the shrines made
of bamboo or stone that are a common sight in the rice fields.

Myths and legends of old never fail to fascinate and inspire.

"For me, they were the bedtime stories that lifted me into the
realms of dream and fantasy," said Widayanto, whose eight
previous solo exhibitions were all inspired by Javanese
mythology. However, creating the various guises of the goddess
has been a different experience from the previous efforts.

There is no absurdity, no comical presentations, but figures
that transcend into the ultramodern without neglecting the
goddess' traditional importance. And, though exaggeration of the
breasts has been toned down, the sensual remains as prominent as
in his previous works.

Widayanto says he wanted to make contemporary representations
of the goddess that would be compelling in blending symbolic
meanings with modern significance.

What better mode than having the goddess come down in the
guise of 30 mannequins going over the catwalk amid ripening
paddy! With different types and faces, the sculptures are
wrapped, or semi-wrapped, in intricate, fashionable and colorful
outfits befitting a queen.

Recreating the atmosphere of the village and paddy fields at
Galeri Nasional, where the catwalk is made from real growing
paddy and with birds chirping in the background, will heighten
the ambience -- one may feel in a world of antiquity and the
future at the same time. Adding to the authentic feel is the
serving of snacks made of rice, as well as other refreshments, in
the traditional Javanese village style on opening night.

Franciskus Widayanto is a graduate of the ceramic section of
the School of Fine Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of
Technology (1981). Noted for an equal commitment to supporting
traditional art and expressing his individuality, he uses clay to
materialize ideas derived from his fascination with the ancient,
Javanese world. Besides ceramics, the 50-year-old artist is also
skilled in drawing and painting, as will be evident in a side
exhibition at Galeri Nasional. In 1991 he set up PT Widayanto
Citra Tembikarindo to produce functional and decorative items,
including accessories.

Dewi Sri - Nyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri; Ceramic Sculptures Fashion
Show; By F. Widayanto; Galeri Nasional, Central Jakarta (Opposite
Gambir Railway Station); Opening June 17 at 7 p.m. - June 19, 2003