Lucia Hartini, Srikandi (1993), oil on canvas, 150 cms x 150 cms

The use of space, colour and brushwork.

Srikandi by Lucia Hartini 1993 depicts herself as the main subject matter, dressed in the blue cloth that the female warriors of Indonesia. She appears muscular and stands arms and legs akimbo in the centre of the painting and has a very strong and independent look. In this painting, Lucia Hartini repels the critical and doubting eyes of society, no longer rendered by them thus she has courage.

There is evident use of geometrical shapes. This can be seen in the many triangles formed by the zig zag brick walls as well as the triangle-shaped vision shooting from her eyes. Her 2 arms also form triangles and this gives the painting a very sharp and fierce feel. Also, the cracks and zig zag lines create a lot of angles. This contrasts to the soft flowing fabric of the blue cloth she is wearing as well as the moon and the fluffy clouds in the back ground which makes the painting seem peaceful, as if Lucia Hartini has found herself and has settled down in society.

There is another contrast between the colours used to depict the blue cloth and the background, compared to the brick walls and her skin tone. The blue cloth that she wears and the clouds in the background make use of cool and calm colours such as blue and violet, this gives the painting a very tranquil feel, as if there are no more social issues that bother Lucia Hartini. This contrasts to the warm colours used to depict the brick walls and her skin tone which are different shades of orange. The brick walls are cracking and on the right, it is zig zagged while on the left, it is straight. This possibly depicts that it is straightening out and her life is becoming less complicated. It also leads into the distance and the viewer is unable to see where it ends. This possibly suggests that this is just the beginning and that her life will still continue to further unravel. There is a glow in her skin, as if she is shining and is very confident about herself. This shows that she is no longer subdued by society and is outstanding instead. The use of warm colours creates a very bright and powerful effect, as if she does not blend into the crowd but stands by herself as a strong person.

There is a meticulous use of brushwork, similar to that of super surrealism. It is carefully blended and there is no visible brushwork. It is painted very realistically, and the forms are well defined and use of shadow to highlight certain parts of the cloth and the skin to add emphasis. The painting is painted realistically so that it is easier for viewers to relate to it and understand the message Lucia Hartini wishes to convey in her painting.

Influences behind this work:

Lucia Hartini is an Indonesian artist who is a Catholic in a predominantly Muslim community. She was a victim of domestic violence and her earlier works express the suffering she has endured. Over the years, her works change from revealing a self that is very powerless, into one that that has her own fighting powers. From fear and grieving into determination and confidence.

In Central Java, there is a very prominent gender inequality whereby female artists are generally not recognised as compared to male artists, even if they are very talented in art. There are many talented women who are unable to complete art studies as the drop rate is high even though there is already a small intake. These women marry into families and are required to stop painting in order to support the family. They are also financially unable to study art due to the lack of support, hence it is very difficult and tedious to be a female artist as one has very little supporters, not recognised in the art industry and people generally look down on female artists.

Women in Indonesia are expected to stay at home and take care of the family. Hence they are not allowed to go out to work and make a living for themselves. They are seen as a hindrance and stealing the male’s jobs if they do work. Therefore, female artists are unrecognised as the brothers or husband might feel insulted if their sisters or wife’s are recognised and theirs is not, even though they are the bread winners of the family. Women are expected to help out domestically and are usually subjected to domestic violence. Lucia Hartini herself has endured such hardships and she attempts to create new visions of women having a more important role in society in her works. She is a feminist and influential woman whereby she yearns for freedom from the norms and judgement of the world. This is depicted by the many spying eyes prominent in her works, whereby the eyes are constantly watching her, as if they know her every move and are constantly judging her.

Hence, in Srikandi 1993, Lucia Hartini has depicted herself as a strong idealised figure, free from the doubtful and critical eyes of society. She repels these eyes as she is no longer subjected to the norms of society, instead she has settled down and is confident of herself. In a much globalised society today, Lucia Hartini is recognised as an artist due to international influence, her works not recognised by Indonesian collectors but by collectors from all over the world instead. Hence, this helped her gain her confidence and her social status in the world. In Srikandi, she is no longer weak and helpless, instead she is seen as a powerful figure draped in the blue cloth worn by female warriors of Indonesia, with her fist clenched. She has a fighting spirit, as if she represents women in society, fighting for their rights in society. Her arms and legs akimbo and is rooted to the ground, also the cloth has settled down and this shows that there is a sense of “weight” in the painting, as if she is of importance to the world and is no longer a mere floating figure.

The eyes no longer watch her in this work, instead she is the one watching the eyes. She repels the critical and doubting eyes of society, showing that it does not affect her anymore. Srikandi is like a work of social realism, whereby it is showing the world that women do have a stand in the world and should not be repressed by society. It also tells women that they themselves should find their own fighting spirit and fight for their rights.

Labels: writings