Artist Speaks Against Gender Inequality by Portraying Men in Domestic Settings
Jakarta. "If every effort has been made but women’s voices are still ignored, then the arts should voice them. This is a form of non-violent resistance," said Puguh Warudju, the curator of "Artpression," a new exhibition at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta opened on Monday (08/01).
The exhibition features over 50 works by 16 female artists and highlight issues faced by Indonesian women, especially inequality and domestic violence.
One of the highlights of the exhibition are three paintings by artist, architect and photographer Reny Alwi which depict men doing household chores — a criticism of said inequality and an encouragement for men to treat women better, according to the artist.
Both "Tugas Penting" (Important Chore) and "Perenungan" (Contemplation) show a man cradling a child.
The other painting, "Usai Panen" (After the Harvest), shows two men playing a piano during a break from doing their chores.
Reny said Indonesian women, even those who work full time, still have to do most of the housework.
Though the artist is unmarried, she said she has learned a lot about the unequal distribution of domestic responsibility from her staff who often complain to her of their domestic problems.
Reny said since more women are now in the workforce, they should not be overburdened at home. There has to be an equal distribution of domestic work, especially in parenting.
"People are now getting more reluctant to hire a nanny or put their kids in daycare since they're worried about the kids' safety. I’m saying that both the husband and the wife in a family now have to share the workload," Reny said.
Reny is also making a strong statement against gender-based violence against women. She wants to remind men that emotional sensitivity and parental affection are not exclusively feminine traits, and that developing them can make men less violent.
"The aggressor in cases of violence against women is almost always the opposite sex. Is the only way to curb that violence by making and enforcing laws? I think we also have to encourage men to develop traits that are traditionally seen as 'feminine' to stop them from committing more violence. Men are capable of kindness and love. If we keep reminding them of that, good things will come," Reny said.
The artist also wants to highlight the statistics that most domestic violence starts at home. Her paintings suggest that if men can show more affection instead of violence at home, their children will develop the same trait.
"Violent tendencies can be traced back to a person’s upbringing. They don’t just appear when the person has grown up. A man's biographical history can decide if he becomes a murderer or a rapist later," she said.
Artpression will run until Jan. 20. The exhibition is run by Yen Art Project with support from the Jakarta Arts Council, Jakarta Expose and the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.
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