Copyright 2001 by Carla Bianpoen
First appeared in The Indonesian Observer, 25 April 2001

A New Generation of Women Artists
Claim Their Space

by Carla Bianpoen

KARTINI DAY (April 21) this year was observed with overwhelming attention to the position of women vis-à-vis their rights and access to the country's decision-making processes, and young women in the arts paid homage to Indonesia's foremost heroine by taking their rightful place at the National Gallery.

Titled "Women and the Dissemination of the Meaning of Space", the exhibition was the first of its kind at the National Gallery and signifies the emergence of a new generation of women in contemporary art. They may well become a significant force sufficient to counter the stifling market-oriented art forces that are currently repressing artistic creativity in Indonesia.

The gender aspect

Until fairly recently, it was considered unusual for a woman to stand out in any activity other than a domestic one, let alone to be an artist with broad exposure to the public at large. In addition, curators were reluctant to have woman artists included in mainstream exhibitions. While pretending there were no women artists of quality, they often included male artists of lesser ability. Noted painter-cum-performing artist; Arahmaiani for example, reveals that if she managed to be included in an exhibition, simply omitting her name as one of the contributing artists often ignored her participation.

It is true that women artists themselves have experienced problems in breaking away from the behavioral system in which they grew up, and when confronted with gender discrimination they chose to remain silent, as was expected. This is at odds with the first Indonesian female painter of note, Emiria Sunassa, whose personality did not fit the general imago for women of the last century, and whom the great S. Soedjojono once called ‘a genius'. Yet art historians have never accorded this genius the same recognition as her male contemporaries.

Of course such gender discrimination in the art world was a reflection of the position of women in society. Apparently, the scales have turned. After the atrocities and rapes that came to light in 1998, women artists ‘revolted', as evident in the women's exhibition held in that year and titled "Women in the Realm of Spirituality."

In the national scene, gender was never a mainstream political issue until the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) came out of the 1999 general elections with the majority of votes. The increasing popularity of its leader Megawati Soekarnoputri pushed the issue of gender right into the center of the nation's attention. At that time she was sidelined as a possible presidential candidate due to religious points of view that supposedly forbade a woman from a leadership role. But the political situation has changed.

Today, those who denounced her now want her to replace the male leader of this country. Political maneuvering? Quite possibly, but the turning tide gives a strong boost to exposure in that once forbidden zone for women: the public domain.

A New Generation of Women Artists

Aged between 24 and 35 years, with a few just a bit older, one may well speak of a new generation of women artists, who have hardly experienced any serious obstacles from their parents when it came to pursuing their desired career. The variety of forms of statement denotes a rich source existing among young women artists. For all their free, skilful expressions, however, the themes of their works demonstrate the continuing struggle that must be fought if the haunting issues of gender and ethnicity prevailing in society are to be eliminated.

Regina Bimadona, whose impressive installations stand out for their visual attraction and professional quality can hardly hide her preoccupation with restrictions concerning sexuality and the female body. In three large (300 x 300 cm) installations: My Paradoxical Body- Body Festivity- The Vagina Resurrection, all of which are mixed media (oil, canvas, resin, wood, aluminum, plexiglass and sand), as well as a smaller installation - Phallo - Bimadona's dilemma between acknowledgement of the self and complying with societal expectations shines through. Ay Tjoe Christine's excellent graphics reveal the artist's feelings about the restricted confines of life. In Limit I and II, and Batas Raba, Batas Bicara, Batas Lihat, Batas Pijak Ay Tjoe uses just a few lines, vaguely reminiscent of refined Chinese calligraphy, to denote how limits can be imposed on virtually any motions. Rather than being upset, however, Ay Tjoe finds such restrictions useful to mature the self and spur creativity.

Kurniasari has etchings that are eye catching in their realms of surreal fantasy. Using latex, acrylic, plastics, canvas and other media, Dwipuspita Pangastuti's installation of bags suggesting cows with multiple nipples decorated with earrings, spots and dots etc. and titled Mooo.... looks like a critique against women being used as milk cows. Gender issues are also contained in the work of Bilaningsih whose Urban Crime possibly refers to the 1998 rape cases in the capital city, while Caroline Rika Winata's [http: //www/babyfactory.com] in silkscreen on cotton (60 x 400 cm) criticizes misleading advertisements, and Murniasih expresses desperation in two paintings Wortel dan Semrawut Kota (Carrots and Urban Chaos), and Tolong Saya (Help Me). The so-called lucky fish, Arowana, was Megasari's choice for her woodcut of the same name. However the sculptures by Lenny Ratnasari appeared to need more time to mature.

Still within gender issues is Endang Lestari's somewhat decorative installation consisting of trumpet-flower-like ceramic shapes bundled together suggesting an attempt to unite separate voices and titled Menyatukan yang Terpisah (Unite What Is Still Separated). Particularly striking is her stirring ceramic art installation that attracts the attention by innovation and perfection. Bek Gilhoe Na Lheung (Forbidden to Tread on the Grass) as the installation is called in her native Acehnese language, provokes a sense of both terror and compassion. It is as if the little ceramic heaps reminiscent of worm casts, sitting amid the grass, spring out of the earth as a token of the dead that lie buried under the grass. Meanwhile, the oblong ceramic forms set on the sand and finding their way up against the black cloth are almost homage to the victims of violence.

Of manifold interest and modes of statement is Grace Siregar, whose preoccupation with women's realities is expressed in packing women's toiletries, kretek (clove) cigarettes, roll-on deodorant and empty F&N cans into small bundles and then presenting them in frames, humoring and teasing the viewer with titles such as Sundanese Woman Picking Tea, Balinese Dancer, Beautiful Village Girl and Javanese Princess. Speaking about the dark forces within human beings, including herself, she presents five paintings in dominating black titled Don't Haunt My Mind Anymore, Don't Cry Darling, Surviving, A Black-faced Woman and Untitled. Grace's heart is not all black, though, as her View Of My Heart in soft pink shows. "That was when I was in love," she says, and as the vibrant picture of My Husband shows, "love" is indeed a many-colored thing for Grace.

Taking sides with the woman victim, she deviates from the conventional and paints the figure in Accused in white. What should have been the summit of her achievement, however, did not make the expected impact. The huge 500 x 180 x 150 cm Steel Tree, consisting of a dead tree found in the front garden in one of Jakarta's streets, combined with wood, steel, glass and rubber, might have had a more poignant impact if it had been placed amid a barren landscape.

For Diah Yulianti, the spirit world is more intriguing than anything else. Immersing in the syncretism of her native South Kalimantan traditions has brought her to levels of relative interaction with spirits, in which she places herself as one of them. Ketika Roh Sudah Berdialog Dengan Roh (When Spirits Hold a Dialogue), Tenggelam Dalam Kebutaan (Drowned in Blindness), Ketika Roh Mencari Dirinya Menemukan Cinta (When a Spirit Meets Love While Seeking the Self), are large 200 x 140 cm paintings, while Perempuan Dua Masa (A Woman of Two Epochs) is 145 x 100 cm. There is, however, one relatively small painting of 70 x 70 cm, which stands out by virtue of its intriguing simplicity. Red Door suggests the door through which Diah likes to go at night, stepping into the world of spirits. Elongated figures, almost pointillist, emerge on canvases made of bark.

Although not necessarily connected to spirits, F. Kisrianawati (Clara Anna) seems to be touched by the spiritual to the extent that her brush starts to write in the Arabic script, although she has no knowledge of it and actually adheres to another religion. Mainly consisting of collages, her works make use of leaves and other elements of nature. Anna Zuchriana's name appeared in the media last year in connection with her solo exhibition "Kenapa Sih, Cina?" (So What's Wrong With Being Chinese) at Cemara-6 Gallery here. At that time she launched a strong protest against racial discrimination. Today her works show a progressive process of self-identification. In a mixed media portrait titled Bagaimana Ia Menyatakan Dirinya (How She Manifests Herself) Anna is dressed in the first portrait according to Chinese tradition; in the second she wears Western dress, while in the third image she dons a Muslim veil.

What next?

Cherry Salim of the Embun Gallery, who facilitated the exhibition in a bid to bring to public notice the potential of these young women artists, must be commended for her initiative and personal perseverance in helping them find their way to the National Gallery. "No strings attached," says Cherry, who took it upon herself to pay a handsome amount for the gallery space and other additional expenses. Participating artists were informed there were no restrictions on how they chose to express themselves. There was also no hidden agenda that aimed at selling the works. All the artists had to do was to be their own selves in short, they were free to express their creativity.

It is hoped that the overwhelming success of the exhibition, and genuine appreciation of their works, will be a strong boost for the artists to move on toward the summit of their respective creative statement - without ever having to sacrifice their artistic integrity.