(JP/Hans David Tampubolon)For political cartoonist Jitet Koestana, a drawing pen should be as sharp as a dagger yet at the same time as soft as a feather
For political cartoonist Jitet Koestana, a drawing pen should be as sharp as a dagger yet at the same time as soft as a feather.
âWe, as cartoonists, must be able to stab right into the heart of dirty politicians but not brutally kill them with our pens. Instead, we have to tickle them and kill them softly,â Jitet told The Jakarta Post recently.
In an exhibition space at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta arts space in Palmerah, West Jakarta, Jitet is showcasing his method of afflicting the comforted through cartoons.
The exhibition, which closes on July 13, also displays the works of cartoonists GM Sudarta, Tommy Thomdean, Rahardi Handining and Didie SW.
Like Jitet, his peers use wit and satire in conveying their messages. For example, Thomdean displays two cartoons, titled Number One and Number Two, which can be interpreted as satirical representations of Prabowo Subianto and Joko âJokowiâ Widodo.
The exhibited works of Jitet mostly revolve around the horror and the dark side of exploitative capitalism and unfair global trade.
Party by Jitet Koestana (JP/DON)
One of Jitetâs most striking works on display is a painting titled Future Life. It shows a stone-frozen logger with his mouth wide open with laughter. Under his feet is a large tree that has been cut down. Yet the loggerâs superiority to the tree becomes meaningless as he is frozen, and a baby bird is chirping through his mouth.
Jitet also satirically questions whether the Indonesian government is independent of foreign intervention, in his work titled Berdikasing, which is an acronym for âto stand using foreignersâ legsâ.
Berdikasing displays a state official delivering a speech in full nationalistic regalia, yet his hands are tied with puppet strings ,symbolizing the reality that most of the current leaders in the country are nothing but puppets for their foreign masters.
While in Future Life and Berdikasing Jitet uses soft satire, he is more brutal and sarcastic in Goldfather and Party.
Goldfather displays the figure of Uncle Sam from the legendary âI Want Youâ propaganda poster while his left hand holds a bucket of gold bars.
Jitetâs Party could be his most sarcastic work and the most symbolic as well. It shows the shield of Garuda Pancasila, Indonesiaâs national symbol, being eaten by rats.
(JP/Hans David Tampubolon)
For political cartoonist Jitet Koestana, a drawing pen should be as sharp as a dagger yet at the same time as soft as a feather.
'We, as cartoonists, must be able to stab right into the heart of dirty politicians but not brutally kill them with our pens. Instead, we have to tickle them and kill them softly,' Jitet told The Jakarta Post recently.
In an exhibition space at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta arts space in Palmerah, West Jakarta, Jitet is showcasing his method of afflicting the comforted through cartoons.
The exhibition, which closes on July 13, also displays the works of cartoonists GM Sudarta, Tommy Thomdean, Rahardi Handining and Didie SW.
Like Jitet, his peers use wit and satire in conveying their messages. For example, Thomdean displays two cartoons, titled Number One and Number Two, which can be interpreted as satirical representations of Prabowo Subianto and Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
The exhibited works of Jitet mostly revolve around the horror and the dark side of exploitative capitalism and unfair global trade.
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