New Ruling Accords Balinese Women Rights to Inheritance

Denpasar. The century-old patriarchal traditions that govern Balinese family life were on Wednesday amended to finally grant women the right to inherit assets from their parents. The High Council of Customary Villages (MUDP), the highest authority on Balinese...

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‘Ethnicity Now’: much wishful thinking

Expectations were set high for the exhibition “Ethnicity Now”, currently on show at the National Gallery — particularly because of the tagline below the title linking Ethnicity to Indonesian Contemporary Art. But sadly, the show turned out to be a disappointment. It seems the organizers...

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Islamic Fashion Goes Stylish in Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Long known as feminine and demure, Indonesia’s traditional kebaya is headed for a makeover at the hands of innovative designers. Growing demand for stylish yet still modest fashions in the world’s most populous Islamic nation is helping power efforts to bring Islamic fashion...

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Indonesia's Cultural Heritage Needs Preservation

Defiant: Balinese dancers perform during a cultural parade at the New Year's Eve celebration in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, today - despite threats of a terror attackUNESCO has pointed out that many forms of intangible cultural heritage are in danger of extinction. Therefore, governments, non-governmental...

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A Delicious Blend of Cultures at Indonesia Restaurant Meradelima

Mixing different cultures is always exciting. The assimilation that occurs when people of different ethnic backgrounds meet and live together usually gives birth to an interesting blend of cultures. The descendants of 15th and 16th century Chinese immigrants to Malacca and Java, referred to as Peranakans,...

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In the Fashion Icons of Old, Inspiration for Today’s Women

(JG Photos/Afriadi Hikmal) It might seem like a paradox. Even though overall today’s Indonesian women are better-educated and more career-oriented, many continue to harbor feelings of fear and insecurity.  “There are still many women who want to look like a certain celebrity or a supermodel,”...

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Dance of Life at ‘Con Festivita’ Exhibition in Indonesia

Bandung-based artist Monika Ary Kartika is in the mood to celebrate. After one false start, her new exhibition “Con Festivita” has opened at the Vivi Yip Art Room 2 in South Jakarta, showcasing a collection of her exuberant, festival-themed paintings.  The exhibition almost didn’t happened at...

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ater Garasi: Embracing the in-between

The sight of a big-eared red Teletubby with a Mohawk pushing dangdut singing women on a yellow makeshift boat into a crowd of amused art lovers is bound to create a surreal and absurd image.So do women performing the traditional tari topeng (mask dance) using plastic masks of robot action heroes to...

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'Ketupat' more than just a tradition

 (JP/Suherdjoko)  Each day, hundreds of people climb Mount Muria, not simply to enjoy the scenery and its natural beauty, but to visit the grave of Sunan Muria, located on its slope.Sunan Muria was one of the Wali Sanga, the nine propagators of Islam in Java, who spread the religion in...

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‘Yadnya kasada’ ritual: A bumper harvest for some, dinner for others

While the Tengger Hindu community in East Java look forward to celebrating their ancestors each year with the ritual of Yadnya Kasada, other less fortunate people who can barely make ends meet await the event and its accompanying blessed offerings with impatience. During the ritual, members of the...

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Matah Ati: serving the prince’s heart

“In the light of the full moon, our bodies will join as one in celebration of our sacred love tonight … and this very moment, may we conceive the life, who will one day defend justice for our people,” Raden Mas Said sang with passion in Javanese to his lovely bride, Rubiyah, also known as Matah Ati,...

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Central Sulawesi’s cultural festivals highlight peace

Before I left Indonesia to finish my degree abroad 13 years ago, I met an artist from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, during the Nur Gora Rupa art festival in Surakarta, Central Java. He invited me to his hometown.I didn’t go simply because the place existed beyond my imagination. More than...

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World Tour Begins in Indonesia

Bowo Hartanto was working as a marketing communications analyst at a private company in Jakarta when he decided that his true calling in life was to travel the world. Before going off on his global adventure, however, he thought he would see Indonesia first.  And see Indonesia he did. In 2008,...

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Of Dreams and Diving Delights

Anyone who has ever donned a wetsuit, weights and a mask, and slipped under the depths anywhere along the archipelago—from Pulau Weh to Raja Ampat—has surfaced, eyed the empty shore on the horizon and silently dreamed of opening up their own dive resort.  But Gilles Brignardello, a tanned, thin-haired...

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‘You and me’, and this mess around us

If you have a penchant for nudes, still life or harmonious watercolor paintings, Muhamad Yusuf’s solo exhibition “Aku dan You” might not be your cup of tea.In his latest works displayed at the Tembi Contemporary art gallery in Yogyakarta, Yusuf, a 45-year-old visual artist who graduated from the Indonesian...

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Ephemeral grandeur

Photos by JP/Agung Parameswara That may explain the Balinese’ obsession with death. The way people die, the way they greet death, and, most importantly, how their community treat their death often eclipses the way they spend their life.  For members of the ksatriya (royal family and warrior...

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‘Kebaya’ honored at city fashion event

JP/Nurhayati  On the catwalk: Four models display the kebaya during a “Tribute to Kebaya” fashion show at the opening of Jakarta Fashion Week in Jakarta on Saturday.  Around 159 fashion designers will showcase their stylish collections at the city’s biggest fashion event, the Jakarta...

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Adorned in brilliant batik

JP/P.J. LeoJP/P.J. Leo Showcasing batik with modern look, designer Edward “Edo” Hutabarat recently introduced his latest ready-to-wear collection called Part One. The collection features shift dresses combined with jackets or spaghetti-strap tops paired with miniskirts or shorts, all with flowing...

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Culinary Tourism World Summit

...(1888PressRelease) Interest in sponsorship opportunities for the 2010, the One World, One Table Culinary Tourism World Summit has risen to new heights. Unique, high-value opportunities are now available to suit foodservice, tourism and hospitality organisations and destination marketing organisations. Halifax,...

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Ark Galerie Puts the Focus Back on Art

Contemporary art tends to shine brightest when shown in a clean setting that puts the art at center stage. Jason Gunawan, the owner of Ark Galerie in South Jakarta, knows this and has made a point of stressing the ambience and look of the showplace in the gallery’s recent revamp. Jason decided...

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Is it the End of the Reel for the Jakarta International Film Festival?

For 11 years the annual Jakarta International Film Festival, or JiFFest, has played an important role in rekindling Indonesia’s interest in quality cinema. The event’s discussions and workshops have also provided a platform for young Indonesian filmmakers to explore new horizons and meet big names...

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Solo’s Operatic Soul

The city of Solo in Central Java, Indonesia, was once known as a center of culture, religion and royalty. More recently, however, it has been associated with something much more menacing. “I was sad and angry that people started labeling Solo a ‘haven for radicals,’”...

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Angki Purbandono: The art of scanography

One may at first think the exhibition of noodle art at the Garis Artspace here is some kind of food promotion. But the opposite holds true. Angki Purbandono, Indonesia’s most prominent artist specializing in scanography – the process of producing artistic digital images by means of an ordinary...

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