Copyright 2000, Werner Wasmuth
Appearing on Javafred with kind permission of the author.

Wiwid's works on Javafred

Wiwid -- an introduction to her work

by Werner Wasmuth
May 2000

Born 1964 in Surabaya, East Java, Wiwid (whose original name is Trodjo Widarti) has been quite active in the field of arts. Besides her study of economics, she has been a member of several theater groups, including the Bengkel Theater of the well-known playwright and poet Rendra. From her father she inherited a solid background in Javanese mysticism, including a thorough knowledge of the Indian Mahabharata and Ramayana. Her work as a journalist at the Indonesian weekly Tempo was interrupted by giving birth to her two sons Milan and Julian. She then concentrated on batik paintings. Based upon a solid knowledge of batik tradition and technique, she developed a quite unique style of abstract batik painting which attracted the attention of collectors in Indonesia as well as abroad. 

Since 1998, Wiwid has been focusing on the design of artistic furniture, creating a collection of quite unusual chairs, tables, and lamps. Particularly her collection of chairs reflects the very sensual approach as a designer, resulting in pieces such as the "Lady Chairs", "Body Language", and "Ni Roro", a creation inspired by the idea of a beautiful village girl in a rather sensual sitting position. The fact that Wiwid, as an actress and dancer, favored "male" or even "macho" roles, can be clearly seen in her work as a designer, for instance in her work titled "Black and White", or also in "Body Language", which present an appealing combination of both female and male eroticism. 

Wiwid's designs reflect both, eastern culture - particularly her own one, of course - as well as a thorough understanding of modern. In this sense, her design is a consequent continuation of her rather unusual batik works, which show the influence of artists like Miro, Picasso, and Dali, for instance, as well as of Indian tantra. 

In any case, the most fitting attribute of Wiwid's work - in whatever field - is probably her enormous strength not to compromise, and to take the responsibility for the entire process of creating an art work, starting from the first sketches of a sudden or long hidden idea, translating them into form (and technique), and follow that process with curiosity and a very consequent, always self-critical approach. Her designs are much more than just the expression of an idea; they show the process needed to transform the idea into reality. 

Pieces such as "Body Language", a set of two rather "strange" - feeling more than looking - chairs, show that Wiwid's art is all but affirmative. Just the experience "to have a seat" in those chairs provides some extraordinary sensation: the "Body Language" chairs, for instance, are like detectors of inner tension and our being dominated by the erratic mind: Having a seat in these chairs immediately lets us feel where these tensions are located and coming from, and becomes painful if we are not willing or able to surrender to change. 

In short, Wiwid is an artist in the true sense of the word: Neither competing nor imitating, but eager to find her own way, without worrying about other people's "standards" regarding art (and definitely not looking to fulfill those standards for the sake of trend or fashion). Instead, she creates just an often-new view upon things around us, be it a chair, a table, or a lamp providing us with a bit more than merely light.