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Exhibition puts spotlight on Indonesian female icons
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"Fatmawati Soekarno" by Nuning Y. Damayanti. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)
A
rtwork of Indonesian female figures, immortalized in silk fabric paintings using the Gutha Tamarin technique, is on display at an exhibition at the National Gallery's Building C in Central Jakarta until Aug. 21.
Titled "Visualisasi Ekspresi Pahlawan dan Tokoh Perempuan" (Visualization of Expression of Female Heroes and Figures), the exhibition features paintings of the late former first lady Fatmawati, S.K. Trimurti, Iriana Joko Widodo, Ainun Habibie and Martha Christina Tiahahu, among others.
The artwork, created by 34 teachers and lecturers from Jakarta, Bandung, Banten and Tangerang, is unique because of the use of the Gutha Tamarin technique, a batik method that utilizes a brush and the tamarind fruit's ground seeds mixed with water and margarine to create a paste as a substitute for malam (hot liquid wax).
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“This technique does not use canting [spouted bowl to create batik patterns] and fire, often called the batik dingin [cold batik] technique,” said Triana Wulandari, the Culture and Education Ministry's director of history.
For the exhibition's curator, Citra Smara Dewi, the technique resulted in something special. “One of the advantages of using silk fabric as the medium is it can bring out the color,” she said. “We want to show that paintings are not always on canvas.”
In addition to the artwork, visitors can also watch a video showing the process of making the paintings. (kes)
