Painter Juni Wulandari moves from society to family

By Chandra Johan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Change is a common thing for a painter, even though not all painters are willing to change, especially if their works are already popular. Changing could create new problems. An artist needs guts to change as they have to face the risk of losing fans.

It is therefore interesting to observe the solo exhibition of Juni Wulandari in Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta.

The exhibition, running from June 17 to June 24, features Juni's new works, mostly dated 1999, with images totally different from her previous works of 1993 to 1997.

There is a change in the theme and arrangement. Many painters make a change in the theme but retain arrangement and style. There are also others who change style and arrangement, but retain the theme. The late prominent painter and graphic artist Mochtar Apin is one artist who always made a change in arrangement, even though most of the works had the same theme, usually of women. Meanwhile, British artist David Hockney always makes a change both in the theme and arrangement, without paying much attention on style or identity.

In Juni's new works, we see the change both in the theme and arrangement. Both changes are clearly seen, so that if we do not carefully observe them, we might overlook the trail of her past works. On careful observation, we will notice that Juni still retains one thing: the chemistry of longing, hope and dreams.

To see the difference from Juni's paintings in 1999 with those from previous years, here is a brief look at her past works.

Her paintings created from June 1993 to 1997, like those presented two years ago in Santi Gallery, Jakarta, feature social life as the main theme.

The society which becomes the center of Juni's attention at that time was the sociocultural environment of a society, whether in daily life or in certain events. While presenting society, Juni took the approach of a child's view. Like children in general, Juni did not take the perspective based on optic- mathematics nor did she take the perspective to create the illusion of space and depth. Instead, the canvas became the space of the whole object, separated by colors which were applied monotonously, showing suppressed emotions. Also, as what the eyes of a child see, the condition of the soul of the subject is not presented. What is seen in Juni's works during that period is the image of the friendliness of a community, which comprises of various kinds of people with various attributes.

While Juni's works in the period of 1993 to 1997 presented the environment of a society, her works in the current exhibition explore deeper into the life of women, children and family. Juni also abandoned the arrangement of using a child's point-of-view who sees the whole picture as the place of every object. Instead, she focused on one certain event in the family, especially on a mother and child, or the figure of a woman. With sweeping strokes of her brush, the paint was applied freely, meandering without any burden. The free brush strokes created uneven colors, aberrant figures who look expressive, as if it gives soul to the very atmosphere it presents. Compared to past paintings, which were clean and colorful, her present works are blurred, rigorous, sublime and bring the feeling of depth.

This is what we feel when we look at her paintings like Menunggu Lahirnya Napolitank (Waiting for the Birth of Napolitank), Mother and Child, Yang Telah Lahir (Who was Born) and Kegelisahan (Unrest). Every problem of the subject presented here shows tension between unrest and hope, between love and concern, as a manifestation of the continuous struggle of a woman.

The painting Menunggu Lahirnya Napolitank records the struggle of a mother in her last seconds of labor. The figure of a pregnant woman opening her legs looks stiff on the labor bed, while arms hang flabbily, suggesting surrender. Nobody is there, only a pair of sandals, furniture and a window are seen. A tense moment in dire loneliness.

In Mother and Child, Juni depicts a woman holding a child. But at the upper part of the canvas several houses are seen, as if placed in a separate room, suggesting a metaphor, or the many dreams of a woman. We see love here, but also concerns and loneliness. The strokes of uneven dark colors, the attitude and expressions of the figures give the feeling of bitterness: the woman seems to hold her sorrow with love and dreams.

Yang telah Lahir shows the cheerful atmosphere of a family. The visit of a family to another who has just had an arrival of a new baby or a new child is a social convention which indicates deep sympathy. Besides, there is also a reflection of gratitude and blessing from God, a sacrament which is revealed smoothly and implicitly.

It is important to add here, that most of her works in 1999 were created when Juni was pregnant. We could guess her motherly instinct likely affected her process of creation. The house of the family, for a mother, becomes the center of the soul which gives hope, longing and dreams. In longing and dreams, is the feeling of gratitude to life, which is manifested in the feeling of concerns.

Born in Jepara, Central Java, in 1967, the graduate of the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta has taken part in more than 10 exhibitions since 1982 and has received a number of art awards in the field of paintings, illustration and sketches, including the Pratitha Adhi Karya awards in 1987.