Women's art on spiritual road to Rome

Women's art on spiritual road to Rome

By Yudha Kartohadiprodjo

JAKARTA (JP): The idea began with a lost passport in June last
year.

Toeti Heraty N-Roosseno, the owner of Cemara 6 Gallery-Cafe,
Jakarta, lost her passport while attending a painting exhibition
in Venice. Her quest for a substitute passport took her to Rome,
where she met Irawan Abidin, the Indonesian ambassador to the
Vatican.

It was on that occasion when their conversation shifted to the
arts, a subject of which they are both enthusiasts. Their concern
about the lack of art exhibitions overseas by Indonesian women
inspired them to organize such an expo.

They agreed the theme would be the spirituality of Indonesian
women that reflects their burdens, sufferance and hopes.

The exhibition, Women in the Realm of Spirituality, will be
held in Pontifical University Gregoriana, Rome, from Oct. 16
through Oct. 30.

A "preview" of the exhibition is currently on in Indonesia for
the public at the National Gallery, Jakarta, through Sept. 26,
1998.

The exhibition features the works of 16 artists: Alce
Panjaitan, Astari Rasjid, Hildawati Soemantri, Inda C. Utoyo,
Iriantine Karnaya, Maartri Djorghi, Marida Nasution, Paula Isman,
Ratmini Soedjatmoko, Reni Anggraeni, Reni Hoegeng, Rini Chairin
Hayati, Sriyani Hudyonoto, Tris Neddy Santo, Wiranti Tedjasukmana
and Yanuar Ernawati.

With Jim Supangkat and Sari Asih Joedawinata as curators, the
exhibition is attempting to illustrate the spiritual concept of
Indonesian women through these 16 female artists.

"Our value of spirituality is different from that of the
West's. While what is left of spirituality in the West is only
religion, ours still deals with traditional beliefs and cultures.
Many of these sometimes create discrimination against women in
our society," said Supangkat.

Contemporary arts dominate the exhibition. They consist of
paintings, mixed media arts and digital images.

With the help of digital tools, Tris Neddy Santo portrays the
role of women in a traditional society.

Through her work "Life in a Village II", Tris has created a
montage of digital image illustrating the various roles of women
in the Balinese society.

Tris explained that hard-working Balinese women wear scarfs on
their heads where they put baskets of offerings they carry to
temples as well as stones to build houses.

"In short, it symbolizes the great contribution of Balinese
women to their society." said Tris. She added that despite their
toil, the women are marginalized by society.

The ban on Balinese women from wearing their traditional
dress, which leaves their upper torso bare, is a form of
repression of their basic rights, she said.

Through mixed media work, similar protests of traditional
custom oppression toward women is asserted by Astari Rasjid. One
of her works on display, "Petrified cage" shows the public
misunderstanding of rape victims. From a distance, the work looks
like an elegant dress with Javanese script on each side. Yet
beneath the fabric, stands an empty steel bustier and a chastity
belt.

"This is the solution that our society prescribes for the rape
victims in Jakarta in the May riots. It shows that our society is
ignorant to the actual problem," said Astari.

Many of the artists chose mixed media to make breakthroughs,
illustrating common stereotyping of female artworks.

"Some of the artists in the exhibition used materials which
are way more advance than mere flower paintings. Still, in the
beginning, there is a fear of rejection from the general public."
said Supangkat.

To overcome this, he said, familiarity with different art
mediums creates more expressive artworks. Maartri Djorghi, who is
also a fashion designer, used a mannequin as an art medium.

The theme of the exhibition correlates with the place where
the exhibition will be held. The exhibition's venue, Pontifical
University Gregoriana, is associated with Catholicism, said
Toeti.

The choice of art objects also reflect the destination.

"In the Western world, people who appreciate art are always
looking for something new. I was asked by my colleague in Rome to
provide her with a mix of artworks." said Supangkat.

Is the exhibition a clear portrayal of Indonesian women in the
arts?

"No. This is just a representation of several artists but,
perhaps it is a clear portrayal of the frustration faced by
Indonesian women." said Supangkat.