Women artists show glimpses of their lives
Made Arya Dwita Dedok, Contributor, Denpasar
Ten women artists working in different mediums share aspects of their lives through the current exhibition at Danes Art Veranda, Denpasar, titled Lifestyles.
The show, which opened on Feb. 20 and runs for a month, features the paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and digital prints of artists Ayu Sri Jati, Grace Tjondronimpuno, IGAK Murniasih, Ludzy Septriana Usdianto, Nisak Indri Khayati, Ni Nyoman Sani, Sri Haryani alias Aryk, Koniherawati, Titarubi and Lydia Poetrie.
The works talk about things that women encounter every day -- hairstyles, fashion and cell phones -- as well as love and marriage.
In Hairstyles, Grace paints hairstyles on centong (wooden rice spoons) that are arranged in 12 panels. She also paints on canvas and talenan (flat wooden kitchen utensils). One, consisting of two panels, titled Globalisasi, is a reference to the change of pace on Bali.
On the first panel, the artist paints bare-breasted Balinese women amid natural surroundings. On the other panel, they are clad in punk-style outfits, exposing their navels, against a background of buildings and billboards.
Same-sex marriage is depicted in a three-panel work titled It's My Life. The work asks whether couples of the same sex should have the right to wed.
If a particular lifestyle is embraced by society and thus becomes a "pop lifestyle" others are certain to follow it. For example, hairstyles worldwide were inspired by the Princess of Wales (Lady Diana Spencer), or Demi Moore in the movie Ghost in the 1990s.
In Murniasih's work titled Murni and Mondo she shows a couple in love who are disturbed by the ringing of a cell phone. Impressed by what she saw during her visit to Kampuchea, she shows another person riding a bicycle while talking on a cell phone, in her work My Style in Kampuchea.
Sculptor Ayu Sri Jati also shows the activities of people with cell phones in her sculpture Rilek (relax).
Consumerism is another element of our daily lives. Aryk's work titled Konsumtif (consumption-oriented) focuses on prestige, or the desire to look classy by wearing designer clothes.
A common societal problem is that people are often judged by their outside appearance, rather than their personality, the artist comments.
Party, a work by Nisak, shows that for some people life is just that, one big party. Titarubi, in one of her digital prints, Bound with Shine, shows a feminine woman with heavy makeup who enjoys traveling.
Femininity is also represented in Sani's painting of beautiful women wearing different clothing, just like a fashion parade. The work, consisting of five panels, is titled Back Less.
Ludzy also describes the beauty of the female form in Women's Desire -- desire in this case being of a woman who wants to maintain her virginity.
In her ceramics, Lydia Poetrie shows a woman selling jamu (traditional herbal tonics). Despite modern medicine there are still people who need jamu, is the message of her work For my Family.
A big fan of Lady Diana and Gandhi, Koni draws them in her work titled Life Style 1 and 2.
It is quite interesting to view the works on display as they show the world through women's eyes.
Viva women artists!
The writer is a male artist who lives in Denpasar.
kasih abu2 Lifestyles Danes Art Veranda Jl Hayam Wuruk 159 Denpasar
exhibition runs through March 20