National Mothers' Day, which falls Dec. 22, was marked Sunday by housewives and artists in Yogyakarta through an exhibition of their artworks at the Aming Prayitno Studio in Murangan, Triharjo, Sleman regency.
Fifty works of art, including sculptures, embroideries and paintings, by the 15 housewives and artists will remain on display until Jan. 10 in the "Laga Rupa 15 Perupi Jogja" (Fine Arts Exhibition of 15 Yogyakarta Female Artists).
"We want to celebrate Mothers' Day differently," said Atik Godod Sutejo of the Association of Yogyakarta Fine Artists' Wives (Ikaisiyo), which organized the exhibition.
She added most of the participants were not artists by profession, and were mostly either the wives of artists or hobby painters.
Among participating artists are Sri Yunnah Kuncana, Nunuk Ribanu, Seni Asmara Sari and Ni Made Asri.
Other participants include Sisca Sofyan Effendi (the wife of former Gadjah Mada University rector Sofyan Effendi), Caecilia Aming Prayitno (the wife of artist Aming Prayitno), Titik Sidin (the daughter of the late artist Tino Sidin), Ireng Larasari (writer and daughter of the late artist Harijadi) and Siti Rochani Soeparto.
"We don't have a special theme for the exhibition," said Atik, the wife of noted artist Godod Sutejo.
"What we have is the spirit of creating something and celebrating Mothers' Day."
Atik said she began learning how to paint in 1991, from her husband, and had since 2002 taken part in and helped organize four exhibitions, including this one. "Painting isn't all that easy," she said.
Ireng, a former journalist who is finishing a biography on her father, shared Atik's experience.
"Sir, drawing is not easy, isn't it?" she wrote on her sketch of Indonesian painting maestro Affandi.
Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University cultural diplomacy professor Tulus Warsito, who officially opened the exhibition, said it was not surprising to see a variety of paintings at the exhibition, especially because it featured mostly housewives.
"It's a blessing just to have them contribute three or so artworks to exhibit here, much less expect them to think up a specific theme," he said in his opening speech. "It's much easier for them to cook rice rather than paint."
He added no matter how small a painting, great care was needed in deciding the colors, form, composition, space and other factors.
Flowers, birds, fish and landscapes were the dominant subjects of the paintings.
Others include puppet characters, such as in the embroideries of Siti Rochani, titled Begawan Bagaspati, Anoman and Kala Bendana, and family harmony, as in the paintings of Nunuk, titled Keluarga (Family) and Dua Gadis (Two Girls).
