A portrait of Javanese values

Love, harmony and serenity are among the values taught for people to live by.  Based on some Javanese values, the “Java Dwipantara” art exhibition features some realism paintings that are as striking as their inspirations. 

The Javanese word sumeleh refers to a pure and peaceful state of mind without greed or any need to be restless. Achieving this would be valued as a perfect life. Perhaps our inability to reach this is the cause of our troubled world.  

Using Javanese values, contemporary artist Yuli Kodo translates today’s social and political conditions into striking artworks currently on display at Hadiprana Gallery in South Jakarta.

Curated by Aa Nurjaman, “Java Dwipantara” is Yuli’s first solo exhibition.

In this collection of more than 25 paintings, Yuli brings us through a passage into philosophical Javanese lives.

He reflects implicit messages of Javanese literature into an art form with a culturally bounded atmosphere. His style can be categorized as “realism” painting, putting together symbolic elements represented in today’s context.

“I based this collection on a Javanese song that represents the 11 stages in life from birth to death,” Yuli said when met during the exhibition’s opening ceremony on July 18.

The song he was referring to is “Tembang Mocopat”, 11 steps in life from Maskumambang (embryo) to Pucung (burial), which is a philosophical guide for an ideal life.

Yuli’s Javanese intellectuality is derived from his background. Born and raised in the vicinity of the Yogyakarta royal palace, Yuli lived by the Javanese belief of Kejawen. A particular atmosphere that he projects in this collection is the appreciation of life led by the element of balance. 

The values of “Tembang Mocopat” are translated into symbols. This collection can be generally categorized into three themes. The first pictures the philosophical lives of Javanese men and women, the second presents traditional children’s games, while the third is dedicated to the palace. 

White painted faces dominate most of his subjects. This signature element is meant as a mask, which symbolizes people’s masked characters. “People go out with their masks; we may never know what’s inside them,” he explained. 

Bapa Angkasa Ibu Pertiwi is an example of the first theme, picturing how the roles of men and women complete life in the universe. He explains that in Javanese philosophy men guide life, while women are the key to prosperity.

This is followed by Mimi lan Mintuno, in which a woman kneels with a pot of water while her man stands tall with a stick to protect them. Through these elements he emphasizes balance in life.

Yuli praises women as the source of our existence. The painting Perempuan pictures a woman dressed in batik standing among tulips on water with her arms out. 

On her head is the moon, her chest the sun and between her legs is the earth, a representation of a complete life. The sun being the heart illuminates the mind and the womb, which is the birth of life.  

The painter also uses many Javanese idioms to represent the context of political and social realities.

As an Indonesian, it would be easier to take in the meaning of the symbols as they are bound to Javanese cultural values. 

He implies that this collection may just look like a photograph, but with a thorough look you’ll see that they don’t stray far from today’s context.

One painting titled Ing Ngarso Sung Tulodho, Ing Madyo Mangun Karso, Tut Wuri Handayani portrays six children standing behind one another with the leader confronted by another boy with a stick.

Taken from a Javanese idiom, it’s a reminder to (political) leaders that they are responsible and while the people behind them will always follow those in front, they have a right to remind their leaders when taking the wrong way.

Panglima (commander) is part of the third theme, portraying a palace commander escorted by palace guards. His firm figure represents Ningrat, with Ning meaning tranquility and rat meaning the universe.

This describes the spiritual condition within a nobleman (priyayi). As such, Ningrat can be achieved by anyone able to overcome one’s own body and soul and hence be worthy a leader.  

“Java Dwipantara” presents a look into the roots of Javanese culture embodied by the various symbols of its philosophies. Yuli Kodo’s works show that cultural values still concur with today’s realities.


Java Dwipantara

July 11-27, 2011
Hadiprana Gallery
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 30, South Jakarta

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Visual art inspired by words

This concept is explored by the daily newspaper Kompas in its Sunday edition, in which it regularly publishes a short story accompanied by an illustration. Thus, the weekly edition presented a short story (cerpen) plus an illustration.

Many of those beautiful illustrations are displayed in an exhibition at Bentara Budaya in Jakarta. Being the 8th annual exhibition of these works, it displays all of the short stories published in 2010.


In a separate room, published short stories with illustrations are on display. This original layout of the text and illustration is displayed in frames and ordered according to the date of publication, from January to December of 2010.

Since its first exhibition in 2003, Kompas’ involvement in contemporary art can be hailed as a success in introducing literature of a more profound dimension.

“The illustrations stand independently, not just to support the text but to give a deeper meaning to it,” Bentara Budaya executive director Efix Mulyadi told the Post at the exhibition hall.

Efix recalls that the idea to feature illustrations with accompanying short stories came to him in about 2002. At that time, Kompas had been publishing short stories in its art column. However, they were only laid out with simple illustrations.

Then, a notion came to put together literature and illustrations through art forms. “Illustrations don’t always have to be like that [simple pictures based on the short story]. They can stand with literature as equals, not as an integral part of it,” Efix emphasized.

A team at Kompas then worked extensively with contemporary artists and writers and started publishing the new illustrated short stories in the same year. Since then, about 50 illustrated short stories have decorated the newspaper’s Sunday column every year (52 stories in a year).
Lelaki yang Membelah Bulan (left) and Kenangan Perkawinan. JP/Wibisono Notodirdjo
This move has been hailed as a success in bringing an integration of art and literature to readers.

The images portrayed here may seem rather abstract. This might be because the pictures don’t pick out every element in the text of the story and literally portray them that way. The narration is translated into shapes, colors and/or tones, using symbols to convey the same message as a whole.

“By making the illustration stand independently as a form of literature, not as a part of a story, it gives a whole new meaning to both the narration and the picture,” he added.

Readers react, he continued, to the soul of a story and this emotion is relayed to the lines and colors of the illustration, hence it becomes a place that’s free for the reader’s interpretations.

Since they can now exist on the same level, the narration does not dictate the illustration, but guides one another for any form of understanding.

More than a hundred of Indonesia’s finest names in art and literature – including artists, poets and writers – have submitted their works since 2003.

Although many of the illustrations seem abstract, they are founded in the short stories.

Artists interpret the plots, messages and motives into the strokes of their brushes or the composition of photographs. Most of them only have five days from the time the short story narration is handed to them to create an illustration.

Despite the short time they have, they manage to create art that perfectly illustrates the profound short stories.

Since they first began being published, the people that brought the illustrated short stories have wanted to bring these works to the public with the intention of promoting literary art.

This has been followed up by annual illustrated short story exhibitions since 2003, in which most of the original artworks have been displayed.

This year’s exhibition was held at Bentara Budaya in Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta and Solo (Central Java). Kompas also published a book compiling 18 of the best short stories of 2010.

A short story titled Dodolitdodolitdodolibret by Seno Gumira Ajidarma published on Sept. 26, 2010 was hailed the year’s best short story.

The illustrated short story succeeded in enriching literature with visual art. Now it has become a significant place to promote and develop the best of Indonesian art and literature.

Bentara Budaya jakarta
Jl. Palmerah Selatan No.17, Jakarta.

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