Commanding: Women’s art is as powerful and complex as men’s.

The Seniwati women’s artist’s collective will start the new year with a bang.

After more than two decades calling the Ubud Seniwati gallery home, the collective has moved to a new “artspace” in Batu Bulan, donated by the new head of the collective, I Nyoman Sani, who at just 36 years of age is already recognized as a leading female Balinese artist.

The earlier incarnation of Seniwati was established by Mary Northmore, widow of the famous painter Abdul Aziz. At that time, Northmore saw there was a crying need for an art space dedicated to promoting female Indonesian artists who had been left out in the cold by mainstream gallerists.

Seniwati put many of these artists on the map, says Sani, who joined the group in 1994 when an art student at the Institute of Fine Arts in Denpasar.

“Since Ibu Mary had Seniwati it was very nice, but after the bombs it became a bit difficult for us to hold exhibitions from about 2003 onward. It became a bit quiet,” says Sani of the slowing down of the former Seniwati Gallery, which resulted in a push by the group’s younger artists to work together to ensure the support given to
artists by Northmore continues into the future, with Northmore’s blessing.

Sani has donated her own home in Batu Bulan as the new home for the group, and all 22 artists represented by Seniwati have a role to play in the reestablishment away from the tourist center of Ubud.

Many: Seniwati Art Space is harnessing the strength of women working together.
“We are starting from zero again and I really hope the new year, 2013, sees us grow and that our friends help us in that growth. Having a new gallery space is like a Mother’s Day Christmas present,” says Sani of the art space that was officially opened on Women’s Day, Dec. 22.

And while the physical gallery is new, the relaunched Seniwati has been busy with several exhibitions, including the aptly titled “New Beginnings” at Griya Santrian in Sanur and now at Three Monkeys.

“New Beginnings” is a series of 80x200 centimeters works by most of the Seniwati artists. The exhibition shows the diversity of styles within the group, including the extraordinary traditional-style paintings of Gusti Agung Istri Agung, Ni Ketut Ratnasih and Ida Ayu Anom, whose works hang alongside modern, quirky works by Ni Atmi Kristiadewi, Adriani, Wartini and many more.

Seniwati’s next exhibition will be of traditional works at Popo Danes, with a permanent exhibition at Batu Bulan Seniwati Art Space.

This new space is tucked down a little lane in a residential area, and this the artists have also turned into an advantage, establishing The Imagination Club, a Sunday open house day for neighborhood kids to come create art and develop their creativity.

Run by 23-year-old artist Atmi Kristiadewi, The Imagination Club introduces local boys and girls to a range of media and stimulates their interest in the arts.

“We have kids coming from ages 4 to 12 years — so far we have 18 children coming each week. This is extracurricular and we hope to develop their creativity. They do have art classes at school, but here it is a bit different. Kids can learn sculpture, drawing, painting — a whole range as each week we use different materials — so kids have the opportunity to see and feel the many choices open to them in the arts,” says Atmi, adding that the kids joining the art classes are “excited and interested”.

Seniwati believes sharing arts knowledge with local children may be the open door to the next generation of Seniwati artists, particularly for young girls whose talents are too often left unexplored.

Found: Members of Seniwati Art Space in Batu Bulan are thrilled to have a new home.
Despite being the early 21st century, there is still the need for a women’s artist’s collective, says artist Kerry Pendergrast.

“In university-level art schools women are still greatly underrepresented. There are very few women in art schools here. They still feel art is not a viable career. This evolution of Seniwati continues to make their art an option. Artists need to see making art can offer them a living and I feel their families also need to see that art making is worthwhile. I think it is very hard for women to be artists — there are so many expectations on women to take care of the family and home and make a living,” says Pendergrast of the importance of supporting this
new incarnation of Seniwati into the future.

“We are so very fortunate that Sani has donated her home as the new art space for Seniwati — it really is a Christmas present for [artist] mothers.”  

— Photos by J.B. Djwan