Spirituality gives meaning to Yanuar's works
By Putu Wirata
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Following a series of successful exhibitions, artist Yanuar Ernawati is holding an exhibition at Chedi Gallery here.
The 40-year-old painter from Padang, West Sumatra, is exhibiting 24 of her artworks at Chedi Gallery from Jan. 16 through Feb. 26.
Among the major exhibitions she took part last year was Women in the Realm of Spirituality at Jakarta's National Gallery and subsequently in Pontifical University Gregoriana, Rome. Featuring 16 Indonesian women painters, the show in October attempted to illustrate the spiritual concept of Indonesian women.
Yanuar, a graduate of the Fine Arts Institute of Yogyakarta, also participated in the Indonesian Bienniale XI, Galeri Cipta and Cemara Cafe 6 in Jakarta.
The 24 paintings exhibited at Chedi Gallery were selected before she took part in the Indonesian and European exhibitions.
The works she created between 1995 and 1998 are a reflection of humanity values she painted in pale colors that suggest mystery. The themes are of great variety including a self- portrait, memories, love, masked faces, parental spirit and the life cycle.
Yanuar is eager to explore the mysteries of the human being. She paints people as social beings. Her works are rich in spiritual nuances. With her work she speaks about people: their behavior, power, love and so forth.
In Bersembunyi di Balik Kedamaian (Hiding Behind Peace), she tells of the struggle of thought. It consists of white shade with black strokes. The objects are Jakarta's National Monument (Monas), the nearby Istiqlal grand mosque with a man's figure lurking in it; his eyes cold, suspicious and threatening. High up is a female figure pierced by the tip of the monument.
White, the color of peace, is dominant in this work. The other objects like the monument, Istiqlal mosque, people and buildings are dark and "frightening".
Bersembunyi di Balik Kedamaian expresses irony, quasi peace, because the reality is hatred and animosity within people in the community. This piece was inspired by the tension that reigned in Jakarta ahead of the May 1998 riots which were followed by president Soeharto's downfall.
"I was in Jakarta when the rioting broke out," Yanuar recalled. "Signs that violence would occur had occurred several days earlier when the government repeatedly asserted that student demonstrators would be suppressed. At that time, the economic crisis was deepening every day and life was unbearable for the poor."
She added, "This nation needs a motherly leader, metaphorically."
Yanuar fells the situation has not changed much. While conflicts among different groups in society are widespread during the economic crisis, a much idolized leader is yet to come to the rescue.
What Indonesia has, she said, is a government which lacks moral legitimacy and consequently civil unrest escalates.
Berebut Kebebasan (Striving for Freedom), acrylic on canvas, 95 cm by 95 cm, 1995), features three human figures hovering toward a target point called "freedom".
Yanuar said that what inspired her to create the piece were letters she received from friends in China, Britain and Hong Kong which discussed freedom as they perceive it.
"We discussed problems facing Indonesian women. My colleagues from the West insist that women must struggle against male domination. But for women in Indonesia, the struggle does not depart from the gender conflict," she said.
Indonesian women and men, she agrees, should have equal rights. In the Indonesian perspective, she said, women's rights are already present and are not something which have to be snatched from the hands of men.
It is, apparently, the spiritual belief that gave her the confidence to go West. She said that when she took part in last year's exhibition at Pontifical University Gregoriana, she was greatly inspired by the religious artwork in Rome.
She strongly believes that it is the spiritual touch that makes people from other cultures appreciate her works of art and she does not really care if the works belong to the expressionist or impressionist schools.
With spiritualism content in her work, she toils hard to make her creations on a par with big names in Europe and the United States.
The strongest characteristics of the works she exhibits at Chedi Gallery is the great variations of shapes that form tales about life as she clearly illustrates in Hembusan Nafas Kehidupan (The Breath of Life), Merentang Tali Kehidupan (Pulling the String of Life), Topeng-topeng Terbuka (Lifted Masks), Manusia Bertopeng (Masked People) and Siklus (Cycle).