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.