Tracing women artists in Indonesia (1940-1970)

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Initiator

The Indonesian Women's Archives and History Space (RUAS) is a collective space for women's critical thinking, run by historians and activist-scholars. RUAS' work includes archiving that is oriented towards memory, activism practices, women's thoughts and feelings, for justice, social, political and cultural change.

RUAS defines archiving-activism as a social movement which documents movements, thoughts and feelings, as well as presenting women's narratives that are overlooked in Indonesia's mainstream history. We aim to care for and recall women's movements as a way to support social change and bring about justice as well as equality.

About the annotated bibliography

For now, we are focusing on the artists' whose practices began in 1940-1970. There is no particular reluctance on expanding the years of these practices. It is simply where the research interest of RUAS and Hyphen— met when we began this work.

How to contribute to this

You are more than welcome to grow to this annotated bibliography. Please send your contribution via this form.

Alimah

  • Setiawan, Hersri. 1999. Lekra Yogyakarta. Cultural Records.

Alimah was mentioned in Setiawan’s notes about the member of Lekra and the People’s Painting Studio (Sanggar Pelukis Rakyat) as a female surrealist painter with a modest and sharp style. Alimah and her whole body of work have disappeared after the 30th September Movement in 1965 until today.

Aty Ismangil

  • Suwaryono, Dan. 2015. Fine Arts Appreciation in Indonesia: The Essays and Criticisms of Dan Suwaryono (unpublished draft). The Faculty of Fine Arts, Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

Aty Ismangil’s name appeared on page 56. Her painting Kali Progo was discussed; its style of delicate lines was compared to Ruliyati’s painting style, which was firm, hard, and rigid.

Attika (Atikah)

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “The Role of Lines in Painting”, Star Weekly, 18 July 1959.

This article made a comparison between two exhibitions – an exhibition that presented the work of “Yin Hua” painters in Tati Gallery (Prinsenpark, Jakarta) and the exhibition of seven Indonesian painters in Balai Budaya in July 1959. Water and ink, the mediums that were apparent in the “Yin Hua” exhibition, were compared to the acrylic paintings of the second exhibition. The only woman who contributed to the second exhibition was Attika. Oei Sian Yok wrote that Attika often painted flowers, even though her paintings were still not yet fully refined in the terms of technique–especially when she was painting a vase.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “The Difference Between a Painting and an Illustration”, Star Weekly, 12 March 1960.

In this article, Atikah was mentioned as an artist from Sumedang who, in the middle of 1956, was painting for BMKN (The National Cultural Forum). Technically, in the exhibition in Balai Budaya (Jakarta), she didn’t yet have the painting skills equal to Utarjo or Yassin. Her floral painting looked clumsy and out of proportion. Her chosen colors for “Dewi Sri” also lacked harmony.

Betsy Lucas

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “The Students’ Painting Exhibition”, Star Weekly, 25 April 1959.

This was an article about a B.K.S.K.M.I’s exhibition (Indonesian Art Students Cooperation Agency) in Wisma Nusantara, which included the work of the students of Bandung Institute of Technology’s Fine Art Department and Jogja Academy of Fine Arts. Betsy Lucas’s work was mentioned as having its own style and how her lines were remarkable and subtle. She used soft colors for nature in her painting, and she drew a beautiful landscape of Bali.

Emiria Sunassa (Emiria Soenassa)

  • Unknown yet. “Talking to a Tidorean Princess about Her Hometown: Irian”, Star Weekly, 20 November 1949.

The article about Emiria opened with a telegram message from the chief of UNO (New York) that mentioned the title of the Queen Mother Emiria Soenassa Wama’na Putri Al’Alam. Her background as the princess of Tidore Sultanate was mentioned in this article, along with her journey to become a painter. And her involvement with the PKII (Independence Party of Indonesia Irian) to fight for the people of Irian. In this article, the relationship between the Tidore Sultanate and Irian was also explained.

  • Unknown yet. “Emiria Sunassa: How she came to be a painter”, The Indonesian Affairs, Vol. II No. 2. April-May 1952.

This article about Emiria was quite interesting since it was published by the Department of Information and written right before Emiria disappeared from the public. The article also mentioned a review of her work in the previous issue of the journal in 1951. The article focused on Emiria’s story as an individual and how she self-taught her art. In the article, her early interaction process with paintings with Prof. Pijper was discussed in detail – it showed Emiria’s temperamental and passionate character. Emiria was also someone with high social empathy and awareness; it was apparent from her choice to become a nurse during the revolution era.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “The Exhibition of Four Indonesian Expressionist Painters: Emiria Sunassa, Trisno Sumardjo, Oesman Effendi, Zaini”, Star Weekly, 6 February 1960.

Emiria Sunassa was one of the Indonesian women expressionist painters that contributed her work to this exhibition. The article mentioned her short biography and that she started painting in her older age, right before WWII. Her solid exhibition in the Bataviasche Kunstkring Art Hall in 1940 garnered a lot of attention and discussion about her work. Her second exhibition was held in 1946. Among the art circles, she was often depicted as having a unique personality and was in a league of her own. She held exhibitions in Europe, the United States, India, and the Malay Peninsula. The colors in her paintings showed creative decisions and combinations that were unique, fresh, and sharp. “Kembang Matahari” (Sunflower) was one of her more cheerful works. “Terdampar” (Stranded) depicted several bodies sprawled on a dead empty ground and, in its bluish green, they looked bleak and sad.

  • Burhan, Agus. 2000. The History of Paintings in Indonesia: From Mooi Indie to Persagi (Association of Indonesian Painters). Yogyakarta: MERAPi

The writer mentioned that Emiria Soenassa got her inspiration from primitive art. She was aloud about her “anti-technique” credo: “Swing your pencil, throw away your technique”. This creative tenet was in line with Sudjojono. The article also mentioned Emiria’s background as the first Indonesian woman who explored the art of painting as a way of expression. “Kampoeng Nelajan di Teloek Roembolt”, her work in the Bataviasche Kunstkring exhibition 1941 garnered attention. As described by Sudjojono, her painting showed primitive patterns to express honest naivety. Afterward, some of her paintings were considered to resemble Van Gogh’s. Later, expressionism became much stronger in Emiria’s work; her style reached its maturity during the Japanese occupation era.

  • Arbuckle, Heidi. 2012. Performing Emiria Sunassa: Reframing the Female Subject in Post Colonial Indonesia. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

This one was considered comprehensive research about Emiria Soenassa. In the opening of this report, Heidi wrote about Emiria’s background, making clear all of the confusion – including the claim that she was a princess of Tidore Sultanate. Emiria’s life was so colorful in numerous professions that she did. Before she disappeared from Jakarta out of the blue at the beginning of the 60s. Her story became a mystery until the end of the 90s when the public memory of Indonesia no longer remembered her.

Emiria’s disappearance from Jakarta was something you could call an attempt to erase the work of Indonesian women in mainstream art in Indonesia. With details, Heidi traced back all the materials and sources that mentioned Emiria, including people’s memories of her. Emiria was mentioned as getting married several times, even though there was not any strong evidence about it. And Emiria didn’t have any biological children. When she was alive, she adopted two kids.

No one knew why Emiria disappeared. Aside from that, Emiria was a pioneer in several fields. Heidi tried to rearrange materials and records about her and rewrite Emiria Sunassa’s life, combining it with oral narrative history, archive, and visual analysis of her work and photos. An example was a little detail from Mia Bustam about her visit to Emiria’s house at the beginning of the 40s. Heidi also interviewed people around Emiria who knew her personally. Until she finally interviewed Jane Waworuntu, who was a close friend (might also be Emiria’s distant relative) and a person who secured Emiria’s paintings until Jane died in 1998 – and those paintings were passed down to Jane’s nephew, Weir Waworuntu. After that, those paintings were kept in a store room in Tanjung Sari Hotel in Bali. They were on display in an exhibition in 1994.

Heidi tried to discuss Emiria’s positioning of female subjects in the colonial and national discourse. And also how women took their roles, in the context of themselves and spaces for women in the national art scene. Emiria became a dominant figure in the dynamic of the art scene in her early career and also a figure of another. She represented a princess and a “primitive” because of the information she didn’t have access to because she was an other. Heidi explored the discussion regarding Emiria by looking at the trace that Heidi found in Jalan Cendana. She also reinterpreted Emiria through a visual analysis of her paintings. In her conclusion, Heidi put Emiria Sunassa as a female subject and presented her persona, her political commitment, and her daily life inside a discourse of modern Indonesian culture, specifically when the colonial era would soon end. Emiria was a historical vehicle to examine how she shook the dominant narrative and destabilized the rigid truth about the state and its relation to race, class, and gender ideology. Emiria was eccentric – mysterious and unpredictable. The use of a postcolonial feminist approach was urgent to understand and retell Emiria as a whole narrative subject.

  • Low Sze We, Horikawa Lisa, Scott Phoebe (eds). 2016. Reframing Modernism: painting from Southeast Asia, Europe and beyond. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore.

Emiria was mentioned as a pioneer figure in modern Indonesian art. Her painting style showed an ideological position, as seen in her way of presenting female figures from various cultural backgrounds in Indonesia. And this made her style so different from the spirit of nationalism that was apparent in mainstream painting styles at that time.

Emiria presented another idea of nationalism in the diverse figures in her painting. Five of her painting were presented in this book: Pemanah Papua (A Papuan Archer, 1942), Bahaya Belakang Kembang Ternate (The Hidden Danger of a Ternatenese Young Woman, 1941-1946), Panen Padi (Rice Harvest, 1945), Pasar (Market, 1943), and Peniup Seruling dan Purnama (The Flute Player and the Full Moon, 1958).

  • Ika Setia Wati, Jenny. “The Existence and the Problem of Indonesian Nudist Painting According to the Feminist Lens”. Imaginarium, Vol. 1 No. 3, November 2020.

This discussed the debate and problem of nudist painting in Indonesia, which was often produced from the patriarchal perspective. Jenny interpreted Emiria’s “Mutiara Bermain” (Pearls, At Play) with a different kind of feminist approach, considering the creation time of the painting – when the Japanese oppressed Indonesian women during the occupation period, and its aftermath during the beginning era of the republic. Jenny discussed the male gaze perception from male artists that made it as if women alone couldn’t be a subject in a creative process to make a painting.

Magazine

  • Merdeka, Moyang Kasih Dewi. “Finding Emiria Again”, Majalah Tempo, 2 May 2020.
  • Merdeka, Moyang Kasih Dewi. “Finding Emiria Again”, Majalah Tempo, 2 May 2020.

Printed newspaper

  • Arbuckle, Heidi. Kompas, 12 December 2010, Emiria Soenassa Imagining the Homeland.
  • Bianpoen, Carla. Jakarta Post, 9 December 2010, Emiria Soenassa: An auspicious artist.
  • Moeis, Dantje S. Riau Pos, 9 September 2012, Indonesian Female Artists.
  • Bianpoen, Carla. Jakarta Post. 13 April 2016, Reframing Modernism in a Southeast Asian Context.

Online

Ida Hadjar

  • Nadhiputro, Muhajir. Feminine Imageries in the Arts. URNA, A Fine Art Journal Vol. 01 No. 1 (June 2012: 50-62).

The article in this journal discussed the cubistic style in Ida Hadjar’s paintings, which were influenced by Picasso and Diego Riviera, alongside a vision of Social Realism. As a woman painter, Ida Hadjar apparently wanted to fight the stereotype that women were weak human beings. Ida wanted to build an image of women that were vigorous in dealing with their daily struggles. She presented these women as strong, dark, firm, and also having thick outlines-as seen in her painting “Going to the Market”.

Kartika (Kartika Affandi, Kartika Saptohoedojo, Kartika Affandi - Koberl)

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “The Painting Exhibition of Kartika, Widajat, and Otto Djaja”, Star Weekly, 11 March 1961.

The article mentioned that it was not easy for Kartika to live in the shadow of her famous father, Affandi. People might easily compare her artistic style to her father’s or say that it was easy for her to become a painter. Even though her father’s influence was visible in “Mother’s Love”, “Carriage”, and “Bird Market”, in her other paintings like “Woman” and “Falling Asleep” Kartika succeeded in having her earmark – complete with her freshness and tranquility.

  • Kompas, 7 March 1969, pg.1, “Pelukis Wanita Berpameran Tunggal” (A Woman Painter’s Solo Exhibition).

Kartika Saptohoedojo presented 42 of her paintings in Yogyakarta Cultural Hall. Before this, she studied at the Shantiniketan Art School, India. She also studied art at the Polytechnic School of Art in London. She debuted abroad at the Modern Museum, Rio de Janeiro. The news wrote about Kartika’s painting “The Dog and Its Children”. Kartika wasn’t yet to be seen as a woman artist who had her agency, but she was still linked to her father and husband.

  • Kompas, 24 August 1971, pg. 3 “Pertemuan Sepintas: Kartika” (Fleeting Encounter: Kartika).

Kartika admitted that her work had a similar style to the work of her father, Affandi. However, if we look closely, her character and temperament were different. As a woman, the spirit in her painting was different from Affandi’s. Kartika learned her painting technique from her father first, before traveling to Santiniketan, India. Afterward, she traveled with her father to India, Italy, France, and around the world. She visited a lot of museums, and many of her paintings were collected by these museums–like the one in the Modern Museum in Brazil. Meanwhile, at that time, there wasn’t a national museum in Indonesia yet, therefore the work of Indonesian artists wasn't preserved that well. Kartika worried about this depressing situation. She wrote that there weren’t many female artists at that time because there were many things that hindered women from pursuing their careers after they got married and had to take care of the family. She also complained about how the local government officers didn’t care about the culture and the arts.

Kustiyah (Koestiyah, Kustijah, Tjus, Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso, Kustiyah ES)

  • Udy S.H., Mingguan Tjermin, 1956, “Kustijah: a Female Painter and Sculptor, an Art Enthusiast, a student of ASRI, Got Married After Eating Lotek”.

This article introduced the figure of Kustiyah. It mentioned her physical appearance and her sharp gaze, which was beautiful and exciting. As a painter, Kustiyah was lively, friendly, not arrogant, not prideful, chatty, and funny. She was sociable and she held closely the Eastern ethics. A short biography of Kustiyah and her family was presented in the article. She was the only female participant in a painting and sculpture exhibition held by ASRI in Pekalongan and Tegal. Her work there included a self-portrait statue and some of her colorful paintings. It was mentioned that there was another female student there, Ruliyati, but she was busy teaching. The article also mentioned how she got married to Edhi Sunarso and how it surprised her friends in ASRI and her intention to continue to study art abroad.

  • Soedarmaji, Sinar Harapan, 20 August 1969, “An Exhibition from a Husband and Wife in Jogja: Sculptor Edhi Sunarso and Painter Kustiyah”.

This was a review of Kustiyah’s body of work. It was said that Kustiyah processed life phenomena with a cheerful spirit. Hope and contemporary life’s deliciousness were coming from Kustiyah’s eyes. When she painted flowers, vases, papaya trees, and their ripe fruits, she saw these images as a heart-pleasing comfort. She manifested happiness and vivacity by using a lot of colors – yellow, bright green, and orange, together with white color that was splashed directly from the tube. The article mentioned that the color in Kustiyah’s painting, in general, was close to Kartika Affandi’s. Both of them were strongly influenced by Affandi. However, in this review by Soedarmadji, Kustiyah was said to have found her identity. The happiness and cheerfulness in Kustiyah’s painting wouldn’t exist in Affandi’s work which tended to be gloomy.

  • Kedaulatan Rakyat, 1 April 1986, “Three Women Painters from Yogjakarta Held an Exhibition with Success in Jakarta”.

After holding a big exhibition together in the Auditorium of Indonesia-America Friendship Association, three women painters (Kustiyah, Widarusamsi, and Oki Nilakencana) would hold another exhibition in Jakarta Hilton Executive Club. Kustiyah was an alumnus of ASRI (Indonesia Academy of Fine Arts), class of 1957. It was stated that her work had been exhibited in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Surabaya, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Japan. Widarusamsi was also an alumnus of ASRI, class of 1967. She once won a title as the best sketcher and held a solo exhibition in Yogyakarta in 1985. She also collaborated with his husband in Denpasar, Jakarta Cultural Hall, and the Affandi Museum. Meanwhile, Oki Nilakencana was the youngest among these three women. She started painting in 1974 and she won several awards, including the ones from Jakarta’s Directorate of Art, Goethe Institute, Japan Foundation, France’s Cultural Center, and the late H. Adam Malik.

  • Kedaulatan Rakyat, 5 July 2002, “The Exhibition of Ten Women Painters: the Art Is the Right of Everyone”.

Kustiyah’s name was mentioned in this article, alongside nine other women painters. Painting exhibitions that only included the work of women painters were scarce at that time, and this exhibition was praised by a women’s movement activist Nyi Iman Soedijat, who said that she was proud that women had the courage to express themselves through art. This exhibition was held to celebrate the 80th year of Tamansiswa. This exhibition was so useful to enrich the knowledge and perspective in the arts in Indonesia.

Ny. L. Sie Khwan Djioe

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Impressionism in the paintings of S. Djupriyany and Ny. L. Sie Khwan Djioe”, Star Weekly, 7 December 1957.

An exhibition of impressionist painting was held in The Woman’s Building. Some floral paintings, “Hondji” and “Golden Trumpet”, showed a masterful technique. Her painting “Florida Beach, Banten” garnered attention for its cheerful color.

Maria Tjui

  • Bustam, Mia. 2006. Sudjojono and I. Jakarta: ISAI.

Maria Tjui was mentioned by Mia Bustam as a student of Sudjojono in 1955. Mia also mentioned the room Maria Tjui once rented a room at her home.

Maryati

Maryati was born in Bogor in 1916. She was the wife of the painter Affandi; she painted by applying an embroidery technique to her work. Maryati often said that she didn’t consider herself an artist. Affandi admired how Maryati could produce paintings with such an innocent spirit, despite her old age. 23 of her paintings were on display in the “Affandi Live!” exhibition in Lippo Mall, Yogyakarta.

Mia Bustam

  • Bustam, Mia. “Haruskah Seniwati Memisahkan Diri dari Seniman? (Surat kepada Kartika Saptohudojo)” (Do Women Artists Have to Seclude Themselves From the Male Artists? A Letter to Kartika Saptohudojo). Harian Rakyat, 27 February 1960.

This was Mia Bustam’s letter to Kartika, which discussed the urgency for female painters to make their own group that was detached from male artists. Mia Bustam argued that this idea needed to be incubated well because she thought that there was no gender in art. She also mentioned what was art for her. And it was to present to us truth, including the truth of daily social reality. Mia also complained how she, as a female artist, was constrained by her domestic duty before she could even pick up her brush. Not to mention the way male artists sneered at them and didn’t take them seriously. Therefore, Mia emphasised how they shouldn’t separate themselves. Instead, they should fearlessly do their arts like what the male artists had done. Mia also mentioned the time Kartika invited other women artists to meet and only four people came. So, Mia felt it wasn’t effective if they made an organization, and it would be more effective if they just worked seriously in creating their art. Being earnest in their creative process would eventually pay off and show their seriousness in doing art.

  • Siswadi, Sugiarti. “Mia Bustam: Ketua Rukun Tetangga-tetangganya Pelukis-pelukis Djokja.” (Mia Bustam: The Village Chief of the Painters in Yogya)Api Kartini, No. 10 Yr. II 1960, pg. 3-5.

Mia Bustam was introduced and written about by Sugiarti Siswadi. She wrote that Mia Bustam was a modest person who sat in the front of the Yogyakarta’s delegation group during the Lekra’s National Congress in Solo. He introduced Mia Bustam as a painter and quoted Suromo who gave a nickname to Mina Bustam: The Village Chief of the Painters in Yogya. Sugiarti also mentioned and shared her admiration of “Self-portrait”, Mia Bustam’s painting that was hung in Lekra’s Art Exhibition in Wisma Nusantara. Sugiarti also wrote about how she was supported to develop her painting talent by Judokusumo, Abdulsalam, Rameli, and Suromo, and also the younger painters of SIM (Indonesian Young Artists). Mia said she wanted to paint so well that people could read her painting like reading a good book, as if they were reading a collection of poems that would move their heart. She wanted to tell the world everything, be it good, bad, dirty, pure, evil, tantalizing, unjust. Mia Bustam believed that only experience could produce something good, and being a woman artist was so different from being a male artist.

She also shared about her inability to paint because she had to take care of her eight children alone. Sugiarti called Mia a father and a head of a family at the same time because she was on her own. Mia mentioned her fascination with Kathe Kolwitz, Diego Rivera, and Van Gogh. Mia said there were a lot of talented female painters, but they couldn’t develop their talent because they were born among Indonesians (which Sugiarti wrote as having a feudal quality and a colonial mind. Mia also sat on the Agency of Cultural Relations between Indonesia and Uni Soviet. Mia apologized for not having enough time to join the feminist movement. At the end of this article, Mia’s wish was mentioned: to have a solo exhibition in Jakarta.

  • Bustam, Mia. “Surat Mia Bustam kepada Pelukis-pelukis SIM” (Mia Bustam’s Open Letter to the Painters in Indonesian Young Painters”. Harian Rakyat, 11 March 1961.

This was Mia Bustam’s open letter to all the members of SIM (Indonesian Young Painters). Mia Bustam, as one of the caretakers of SIM, openly encouraged the members of SIM to keep in touch (after one of SIM’s projects in Kemayoran). She also explained the fund that SIM needed as an art center to maintain SIM’s facility and the continuity of their activities.

Instead of giving space for Mia Bustam to tell the story, this article elaborated on Sudjojono's journey as told by Mia Bustam.

  • Bustam, Mia. 2006. Sudjojono and I. Jakarta: ISAI.

Mia Bustam’s first memoir. It covered from her first meeting with Sudjojono in 1940 to their divorce in 1959. It recorded her life with Sudjojono and everything that she went through, including her first-hand experiences and as a witness/maker of history that was significant in understanding the history of art in Indoensia (especially during the revolution era, through her lens as a female artist). Mia Bustam wrote about her daily life with details that her memoir could be a note that was relevant to understand women’s narrative at that era. Her children’s note at the end of the book also showed another side of their family’s personal history.

  • Bustam, Mia. 2008. From One Camp to Another. Jakarta: Spasi & VHR Book.

This was Mia Bustam’s second memoir. After her divorce with Sudjojono in 1959. This book shared about all of Mia’s involvement in the art world, in SIM and LEKRA, until she got arrested at the end of November 1965 and was separated from her eight children. Her note included all of her journet moving from one prison to another (Sleman, Benteng Vredeburgh, Wirogunan, Plantungan, LP Bulu Semarang). She told how she and other female detainees survived their 14 years of imprisonment without going to any court. Also how she continued doing her art through various mediums available in the prison until she got her freedom. Her account was one of the most complete records about life in a post-1965 women’s prison under the New Order.

  • Bustam, Mia, Astrid Reza, and Yvonne Low. "Chapter 6: I Found Myself." Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia 5, no. 1 (2021): 339-349.

This was an English translation of chapter six from Mia Bustam’s memoir, Sudjojono and I. This chapter was about the ending of Mia Bustam’s relationship with Sudjojono, which was quite dramatic. There was a moment where Mia Bustam decided to be on her own as Mia Bustam, detached from Sudjojono and a point where she decided that she could stand on her own as an artist, painter, and female writer. This chapter showed Mia’s struggle with herself, her kids, and the need to preserve her existence as a woman under the patriarchal atmosphere at that time whose threat actually came from her closest person: Sudjojono.

  • Low, Yvonne. "Mia Bustam and Her Memoirs: Speaking for Herself." Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia 5, no. 1 (2021):

335-338. This was an introduction about Mia Bustam and how her memoir was urgent to understand her better as a female painter and the dynamic and turbulence in the art world at the beginning of the republic. And to understand the political decision that brought her a consequence that the publishing process of her memoir would be slow even after the New Order ended. However, her distinctive perspective about the role and the presence of women artists at her time was priceless for the future generation when they try analyzing the history of fine arts in Indonesia.

  • Reza, Astrid. "Interview with Astrid Reza." Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia 5, no. 1 (2021): 351-356.

This interview with Astrid Reza was conducted when she was translating Mia Bustam’s work into English with Yvonne Low. It discussed the translation process and how important the English translation was to help Mia’s work become more accessible. Some talking points in this interview clarified the situation and background of the lives of women before 1965. The interview also explored how Mia Bustam became a witness and a history maker who got directly persecuted during that era. Another issue that made it into the interview was the challenge to present the voice of women on the discourse map of the art world, which was dominated by the male narrative.

  • Hartiningsih, Maria. “Sejarah: Sebongkah Ingatan di Punggung Gelombang” (The History: A Piece Memory, Riding the Back of an Ocean Wave). Kompas, 10 December 2010.
  • Susanti, Fransisca Ria. “Akhir Perjalanan Mia Bustam” (The End of Mia Bustam’s Journey). Sinar Harapan, 4 January 2011.

Online

Saptarita Latif

  • Saburo, Ienaga. 1979. The Pacific War 1931-1945, A Critical Perspective on Japan’s Role in World War II. Pantheon Books.

Saburo mentioned that Saptarita was a female painter who became a victim of Japanese military brutality.

  • Diah, Herawati. 1993. Kembara Tiada Akhir (A Never-ending Journey). Jakarta: Yayasan Keluarga.

Saptarita Latif, a female painter who was a member of PERSAGI (Indonesian Painters Association) – the organization that was founded by Sudjojono. Saptarita’s life was seldomly written on. Saptarita was the daughter of Dr. Latif and Siti Alimah. In Herawati Diah’s biography, which was an older sister of Saptarita, it was told that Saptarita became a victim of the 1965 political distress. After the event, she died.

  • Dirgantoro, Wulan. 2017. Feminism and Contemporary Art in Indonesia: Defining Experiences. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Saptarita Latif’s name was mentioned together with Emiria Sunassa and Tridjoto Abdullah in the chapter “Haunting in Archipelago” as one of the female artists in PERSAGI.

Sriyani Hudyonoto

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Senirupa Indonesia jang representatip untuk jaman modern” (Representative Indonesian art for the modern times), Star Weekly, 18 June 1960.

This article stated that Sriyani was a self-taught painter. As a newcomer, Sriyani displayed 8 paintings. Among them were a lithograph of a horse, a portrait of a Spanish fisherman, and a portrait of Pak Yamin; these works demonstrated the strength of her brush strokes. The flowers had blazing colors and styles.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Kebebasan dan keberanian dalam pemakaian warna-warna. Pameran Lukisan ke-IV oleh B.M.K.N dan O.S.I.” (Freedom and courage in the use of color. The Fourth Painting Exhibition by B.M.K.N and O.S.I.), Star Weekly, 29 October 1960.

Sriyani was said to have participated in this exhibition and successfully showcased her nuanced black and white brush strokes technique in “Nurnaningsih” and the landscape paintings. These works differed from her usually rigid-looking oil paintings.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Manusia dalam Senilukis” (People in Paintings), Star Weekly, 28 January 1961.

In the exhibition held at the Merdeka Fine Arts Center (Kebayoran), Sriyani displayed paintings with powerful and firm lines circling the shapes of human bodies. She depicted the unique essence of womanhood through the image of a writing woman. The piece “Two Friends” portrayed two male figures with contrasting personalities. She also depicted the diversity of mankind in the painting of the fishermen.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Pameran 5 Pelukis Djakarta: Nashar, Mardian, Zaini, Sriyani Hudijonoto, Mardjianto” (The Exhibition of 5 Djakartan Painters: Nashar, Mardian, Zaini, Sriyani Hudijonoto, Mardjianto), Star Weekly, 5 August 1961.

This article stated that every painter had established a different character in their respective paintings. Oei Sian Yok compared Sriyani’s work to Zaini’s, in which both depicted a figure of a contemplating woman waiting for the birth of her child. In Sriyani’s painting, the woman and her surroundings were drawn with such great care, and it became a realistic portrait that had a distinctive tone. It seemed that the soul of the woman in the painting could speak for herself. Sriyani’s painting “Tossa del Mar” was captivating because of its scenery and landscape. “Kuda-kuda” had successfully shown a brilliant color composition and wafted a mysterious aura.

Tridjoto Abdullah

  • Abdullah, Tridjoto. 1940. Keboedajaan dan Kesenian (The Culture and the Arts). Jakarta: Keboedajaan dan Masyarakat (The Culture and the People).

This was Tridjoto’s only writing that has been published by the Batavia branch of the magazine Taman Siswa. Trijoto likens culture to a family with multifarious members that aim to reach the same goal: the advancement of the family itself. Division happens not because of culture but instead the fault of the people who do not understand the meaning of unity. The subtlety of taste is an essential part of a culture.

  • Dermawan, Agus T. Mengenang Trijoto Abdullah (Remembering Trijoto Abdullah). Kompas 29 January 1989.

The obituary of Trijoto Abdullah was written by Agus Dermawan T. Agus noted that Trijoto was the first professional Indonesian sculptor. At first, Tridjoto learned to paint, but later in her teens, she started working with clay. Her portrait sculptures have remarkable precision, fusing a distinctive masculine and feminine style. Trijoto was a humble sculptor. Only once did she exhibit with her brother Basuki Abdullah at the Savoy Homann Hotel, Bandung in 1939. Before her passing, she had the idea to mass produce statues of Indonesian national heroes to replace the busts of Mozart or Beethoven which were often used as decoration.

  • Bustam, Mia. 2006. Sudjojono dan Aku (Sudjojono and I). Jakarta: ISAI.

Tridjoto was mentioned in Mia Bustam's memoir as a figure who was easy-going and sociable. Mia also mentioned Tridjoto's cordiality and self-confidence when dealing with her interlocutor, Sukarno.

  • Dermawan, Agus T. & Basoeki Abdullah. 2015. Basoeki Abdullah: Sang Hanoman Keloyongan (Basoeki Abdullah: The Unhinged Hanuman). Jakarta: KPG.

In Basoeki Abdullah's biography, Tridjoto’s story was told in five pages from her brother's point of view. The passage also recounted the process of some of Trijoto's works.

  • Lusandiana, Lisistrata & Amalia, Rifda. 2020. Nasionalisme Banteng Ketaton (The Nationalism of a Wounded Bull). Jakarta. Pusaka Seni Rupa.

The piece about Tridjoto Abdullah in this official booklet was quite exhaustive—it was divided into three chapters. This fairly comprehensive article discussed Tridjoto Abdullah through interviews with her family and the findings from her archives, and it revealed facts about her childhood and private life. A lot of new information has been successfully summarized in this booklet, including her personality. During the revolution, Trijoto and her family had to move around. They took nothing with them, only books. Tridjoto valued knowledge. At the age of thirty, after the death of her husband, she had to raise and support her five children. She moved to Jakarta and had to become a professional sculptor. Documentation of her family photos and her works, including her writings, were documented in this booklet.

Ruliyati (Siti Ruliyati, Ruliati, Roelijati, Roelijati Soewardjono, Ruliyati Suwarjono)

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Tiga Pelukis Jogja (Handriko - Siti Roelijati - G. Sidharta) di Jakarta” (Three Jogja Painters (Handriko - Siti Roelijati - G. Sidharta) in Jakarta), Star Weekly, 27 August 1960.

This article reviewed Ruliyati's presence with delight since there were not many women in the painting circle. Ruliyati's painting skill was thought to be on par with her male contemporaries. Ruliyati's paintings were described as having dramatic shapes and lines that evoke dynamism. She was influenced by Hendra. The brush strokes in her painting “Pasar Sentool” showed her mastery in depicting the atmospheric traditional market scene. Oei Sian Yok acknowledged that Ruliyati has succeeded in depicting the female figures in the painting, though at times the colors she picked were monotonous: green, red, and dark blue.

  • Kompas, 3 June 1967, “Roelijati Tentang Lukisan dan Pamerannya” (Roelijati on Her Paintings and Her Exhibition).

Ruliyati’s solo exhibition was held on May 24, 1967 with Mitra Budaya and inaugurated by Adam Malik. It was her fifth solo exhibition. Previously she always held her exhibition on Kartini day. However, due to technical problems, this exhibition was postponed. The custom was intended to encourage women to dive into the modern paintings of Indonesia. For Ruliyati, the act of painting was the only joy of life. In the process of this exhibition, she was looking for brand new color palettes.

  • Dermawan T. Agus. BERITA YUDHA, 17 March 1974, “Seperempat Abad ASRI” (A quarter century ASRI).

Ruliyati's name was mentioned as part of the early generation of ASRI, along with Ida Hadjar, Danarto and Handogo.

  • Dermawan T. Agus. Kompas, 29 January 1979, “Roeliyati Soewarno, Pencipta Hand Painted Card Menuntut” (Roeliyati Soewarno, The Creator of Hand Painted Card Sues).

This article discussed a short biography of Ruliyati, her times as an ASRI student and her productivity as a painter. Her physical limitations, in which she could not undergo exhaustion, did not prevent her from continuing to paint. She recently had an exhibition on January 18-25, 1979. In this exhibition, she displayed 80 of her watercolor paintings on paper, which she painted since 1976. She displayed many paintings of various flowers. Ruliyati complained about the absence of protection by the Indonesian government on her designs and the patents of her hand-painted cards. Many of her works were pirated and marketed without her knowing. Meanwhile, she obtained decent awards from abroad.

  • N. Hasri, Edy. Bintang Buana, 18 July 1989, “Sepuluh Wanita Menabur Warna” (Ten Women Spread Colours).

In this exhibition, Ruliyati was mentioned as the organizer and the participant along with 10 other female painters. Her paintings and technical sketches embodied the essence of everyday life; they portrayed social phenomena. This exhibition was a collaboration of a teacher and her students. The 9 other painters were Ruliyati’s students.

  • Dermawan, Agus T., “Seni Lukis Kontemporer Indonesia 1950 - 1990” (Indonesian Contemporary Painting 1950 - 1990), edited by Hadisudjatmo, Supono (et al), Perjalanan Seni Rupa Indonesia: Dari Zaman Prasejarah Hingga Masa Kini (The Journey of Indonesian Fine Art: From Prehistoric Times to the Present). Bandung: KIAS Exhibition Committee 1990 - 1991, 1991, pg. 107.

In this text, Ruliyati's name was mentioned as a prospective artist 6 months after ASRI was established, along with Widayat, G. Sidharta, and Edhi Sunarso.

  • Kusnadi. “Periode Revolusi Fisik Kemerdekaan” (Period of Physical Revolution of Independence), edited by Hadisudjatmo, Supono (et al), Perjalanan Seni Rupa Indonesia: Dari Zaman Prasejarah Hingga Masa Kini (The Journey of Indonesian Fine Arts: From Prehistoric Ages to the Present). Bandung: KIAS Exhibition Committee 1990 - 1991, 1991, pg. 91.

Ruliyati's name was mentioned in the English version of this text. In Hendra's biography, there was a remark that he had a lot of influence on Ruliyati's sketches. However, this was not found in the Indonesian version.

  • Kapoor, Pavaan. Jakarta Post, 11 October 1998. “ASEAN Women Painters Hold Up Half The Sky”.

This article discussed the painting exhibition of ASEAN female artists. Ruliyati's painting in the exhibition was said to be outstanding and unique.

  • Low, Yvonne. ‘Recovering Women’s Subjectivities: Siti Ruliyati and the “private” transformations of Academic Realism’, in ed. Jenna Ashton, Feminism and Museums: Intervention, Disruption and Change, Volume 2 (Boston: MuseumsEtc, 2018) 210-245.

Ruliyati was mentioned as one of the first women to study art at ASRI, beside one other woman named Aty Ismangil (in her interview with Ruliyati in 2012, it was stated that Aty (correction of Arti's name to Aty Ismangil in Dan Suwaryono's writing) dropped out of ASRI due to her marriage). Ruliyati decided to be more engaged in the academic sphere rather than in the studio. She was not very comfortable in the male-dominated communal system of the latter.

Ruliyati exhibited with Kustiyah and Kartika in 1963, and the exhibition received mixed responses. For Ruliyati, the most important thing about the exhibition was the assurance that she had the backing of Hurusiasti Subandrio, a politician who inaugurated the event. Supported by the network of state officials and foreign diplomats through Hurusiasti, Ruliyati successfully hold solo exhibitions in 1964 and 1966.

In the early 1970s, she decided to retire early from teaching on campus. She provided private lessons for female students from the upper class. She also made picture postcards and designed batik. With her busy schedule, she sometimes drew in a taxi. She never used photo references as she relied on her memory of the moment. Ruliyati’s exhibitions had never been reviewed by her husband, Dan Suwaryono, despite the fact that he was an art critic.

Ruliyati was one of the most active female artists of her time. She found her unique approach and chose for herself how she wanted to be involved in the art scene and how she maintained her artistic process. Ruliyati's process was the epitome of a subjective strategy of a female artist choosing one’s area of movement without having to sacrifice creativity.

Joint/Group Categories

  • Wartawan Nasional, 7 November 1956, “Exposisi Lukisan-Lukisan Kaum Wanita: Disambut Gembira Oleh Pelukis-pelukis Pria” (Exposition of Women Paintings: Plauded by Male Painters).

This article discussed the first exhibition held by female painters, which was warmly appreciated by the male painters. There were about 30 paintings on display at the Indonesian Artists Workshop in the North Square of Yogyakarta. This exhibition was held on Mother's Day in December 1956. It was prepared by female painters and several other fellow artists (as well as the male artists’ wives as the committees). Some of the paintings on display are surrealistic, and some others are expressionistic. Kustiyah was said to be still serving at ASRI, as were Kartika and Ruliyati—both were involved in the exhibition.

  • Yok, Oei Sian. “Pameran Pelukis-Pelukis Wanita” (The Exhibition of Female Painters), Star Weekly, February 18, 1961.

This article reviewed the exhibition of female painters, which was a part of the 5th Indonesian Women's Congress at the residence of Governor Dr. Soemarno. The Congress discussed the importance of national character and the role of women in universal development: what is the role of Indonesian women in the art world? What have women achieved in painting?

Most female painters had no academic background and many took up painting as a hobby. It was remarkable to notice that women seek self-expression in the arts and did not immerse themselves in the monotony of daily life nor settle for superficiality.

There was a plethora of beloved objects, from flowers, nature, inanimate stuff and fruits to portraits, and there was a display of diverse styles, such as Mrs. Alice with her naturalist flower painting, Mrs. Soehardi with her original landscape, Mrs. Dolok Iskanda with her composition, Mrs. Amir Murad with her portrait of children, Mrs. Judith Waworuntu with her well-known style, illustrated a Balinese mermaid fairy tale, Sriyani with her three pieces, Mrs. Lie Khin P. with her "Kroton", which looked decorative, harmonious and joyful, Kartika with her painting of a mother showing love for her dog and children. Mrs. Soedjatmoko with her temple-relief-looking "War Dancer", and Mrs. Suwedi with her fine textile materials.

The paintings were presented as applied arts in various forms, on scarves, women's bags, plates, jars and even bamboo fans.

  • Revolusioner, 8 August 1963, “3 Seniman Wanita Indonesia” (3 Indonesian Female Artists).

This short article contained two photos of the opening of the exhibition, which was opened by Dr. Mrs. Hurustiati Subandrio. Kustiyah, Ruliyati and Kartika were involved in the exhibition. It was held at the Jakarta Cultural Center to celebrate Independence Day, 17 August 1963.

  • Dermawan T. Agus. SUARA KARYA MINGGU, first Sunday of June 1991, “Wanita Seni Rupa Indonesia” (The Women of Indonesian Fine Arts).

Emiria Sunassa was mentioned as the pioneer female artist in Indonesia, she came from the royal family of Tidore. It was stated that she had exhibited with male artists at that time in West Gambir. S. Sudjojono even wrote about it in a Japanese newspaper, but shortly her name seemed to be forgotten.

Tridjoto Abdullah studied sculpture with two art professors at Bandung Institute of Technology: Prof. Tierfelder and Prof. Schoemaker. She started making statues from a fist until she became a professional sculptor in 1952. One of them was the Garuda statue at the gate of the Air Force complex in Maguwo, Yogyakarta. She exhibited only once with her brother, Basuki Abdullah. Many of her paintings and sculptures were then simply kept at home.

Ruliyati was mentioned as a sketcher for commoners and as a graduate of ASRI Yogyakarta. When she was no longer painting, she taught art to her friends.

  • Bianpoen, Carla dan Jaarsma, Mella. “Perempuan Perupa: Antara Visi dan Ilusi” (Women Artists: Between Vision and Illusion). Perempuan Indonesia: Dulu dan Kini (Indonesian Women: Past and Present). edited by Oei-Gardiner, Mayling (etc). Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1996, pg. 71 - 105.

Emiria Sunassa's profile was stated at the beginning of the article, although the details about her marriage to the Sultan of Tidore were not proven correct (in Arbuckle's research later in 2011, Emiria was in fact a descendant of the Sultan of Tidore). It was also stated that she had multiple occupations. Emiria's name was recorded as the first female painter in Indonesia. Emiria also lived a non-traditional life. The author wondered if this was because she came from Manado, which had a different cultural backdrop.

Kartika grew up within the artistic circle of her parents. Marriage was more likely to be an obstacle rather than a booster of a woman's career. Kartika could not paint professionally during her first 20 years of marriage to her artist ex-husband. It was only after giving birth to her eighth child and getting divorced that she was able to develop her artistic career. Although Kartika grew up in an environment that seemed to support her to paint, during her first marriage, her husband advised her not to waste money by buying painting materials and tools for herself. Kartika was constrained by the values of the people around her, even though her father was the renowned Affandi. She said that the opportunities for women in the art world were scarce. As a married woman, she gave birth to a child every two years. Kartika painted self-portraits to voice herself. She finally got divorced in 1974. Kartika's works were often about the role and status of women in society and the sexual revolution.

Tridjoto Abdullah was briefly mentioned as Indonesia's first sculptor, but it was also stated that she only exhibited once, and that was with her brother, Basuki Abdullah.

  • Khouw, Ida Indahwati. “It doesn’t mean that Indonesia had no women painters in the past”. Jakarta Post, 30 October 2001.

This article stated that women painters at the time had difficulties and restrictions due to their marginalized position in society. Merwan Yusuf, the Curator of the National Gallery of Indonesia, proposed a question, "As a wife, would women be permitted to leave the house at night for the sake of art?” Painter Titik Sunarti continued, “Women's role as wives requires them to be domestic, to fulfill their household needs. That's why many female artists don't have enough time to read to grow their knowledge.” The names of the female artists mentioned were Emiria Sunassa (as the predecessor) and the generation that came after the founding of ASRI: Ruliyati, Kustiyah, Maria Tjui and Kartika.

  • Setiawan, Hersri. 2004. Memoar Pulau Buru (Memoirs of the Buru Island). Magelang: Indonesia Tera.

Alimah was mentioned in Hersri Setiawan's writing as a female surrealist painter, a member of the People’s Painters Workshop led by Hendra Gunawan. Hersri stated that in 1964, Alimah, Kustiyah, Kartika, Mia Bustam, and Roelijati held a painting exhibition at the People’s Painters Workshop in Sentul, Yogyakarta.

  • Spanjaard, H. (2003). Javanese tradition: In Framing Indonesian Realities. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

This essay examined the work of Astari Rasjid and Arahmaiani along with their standing and tension with the patriarchal Javanese society. Their practice was thought to be not new. One part of this essay showed the historiography of female artists in Indonesia, especially in Java, which was sourced from three catalogs from the collections of the National Gallery of Indonesia. Unsurprisingly, the historical periods followed the canon established by Kusnadi (see Kusnadi, 1979. History of Indonesian Fine Arts. Jakarta: The Ministry of Education) even though the names of female artists were included in the essay. The names mentioned (in relation to this annotation) were: Sriyani Hudyonoto, Kustiyah, Siti Ruliyati, Kartika and Maria Tjui.

  • Bianpoen, Carla; Farah Wardani; Wulan Dirgantoro; Waugh, Heather. (2007). Indonesian women artists: the curtain opens/text, bibliographical data and artists monographs by Carla Bianpoen, Farah Wardani, Wulan Dirgantoro; edited by Carla Bianpoen and Heather Waugh. Jakarta: Yayasan Seni Rupa Indonesia (Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation).

This book discussed the lives and works of female artists from the early 20th century to the present, and it confirmed the active presence of female artists in the national art sphere. Emiria Soenassa was mentioned in the introduction of this book as the starting point of women's involvement in the male-dominated Persagi art circle. She was from Eastern Indonesia; she loved adventure and traveled a lot, which was unconventional for women of her time. Her paintings depicted indigenous local lores, tribal figures and models from the working class, which can be regarded as early feminist artistic works. So far, her role has been almost forgotten and unmentioned in the modern history of Indonesian art.

Emiria's background was full of mystery. In the latest finding, it was revealed that she was the daughter of the Sultan of Tidore, she had access to higher education and she even traveled to Europe. She was also politically aware and represented Papua at the United Nations Round Table Conference in 1949. Her painting skill was self-taught and she built her own style. Emiria joined Persagi. She introduced her idea of a nationalistic style, which countered the art style that emphasized Javacentrism. She also had a solo exhibition with Poetera during the Japanese occupation. Her second solo exhibition was in 1946 in Jakarta. She soon disappeared from the arts and social circles.

Emiria was very private about her personal life. Her works were discovered some thirty years after her death—and also the fact that she passed away in Lampung, Sumatra. Her works were entrusted to Jane Waworuntu. Emiria's biographical description was quite comprehensive in this book due to the recent studies of her life and contribution to the arts of Indonesia.

Kartika was discussed in the opening introduction, written by Toeti Heraty, whom she knew personally. Toeti described Kartika's career journey, her closeness to her father, and also the fact that she was trying to get out of her father's overshadowing and be herself. The introduction also described Kartika's marriage to a fellow painter, the dynamics of her married life, and how she became a matriarch with eight children in the midst of her extended family. Toeti described Kartika as a strong woman who had an extraordinary life and continually expressed that extraordinariness through her art. She was a survivor. Kartika believed that her best paintings were made when she was furious and able to express her emotions fully.

Kartika was born in 1934, she was described as the first Indonesian female painter who filled the canvas with one's personal emotional turmoil and was also very productive. Affandi and Maryati's only child, married young at the age of 17, divorced when she was pregnant with her eighth child because her husband was polygamous. She was remarried in 1985 but later divorced again. Many reflective thoughts on her life journey transpired in Kartika's paintings. The description of Kartika's biography in this book was presented with a comparison of her best works, along with the account of important events in her life.

Saptarita Latif was mentioned along with Emiria Sunassa as a member of Persagi female artists. However, there were no further details.

Tridjoto Abdullah was mentioned in the introduction as a sculptor whose works were placed in well-known places but were rarely mentioned in Indonesian art writings. Only a few of her works had survived to this day and her reputation was overshadowed by Basuki Abdullah. Her father was R. Abdullah Surjobroto, Indonesia's first indigenous painter. Tridjoto was the first Indonesian sculptor, not only the first female sculptor. Her works can be found in Yogyakarta, Madiun and Jakarta. She developed her skills under the supervision of Professor Tierfelder and Schoemacher (ITB).

Her skill in working with clay, particularly her realist expressive techniques, had earned the attention of experts. She pursued the study of anatomy, scale and proportion and she made portraits from sculptures. She began making sculptures for the public after the death of her first husband, Ki Tjokro Suharto, a progressive teacher at Taman Siswa. She worked on public projects through the link of Taman Siswa, which was close to Sukarno at that time. Her remaining works: Garuda (Yogyakarta), Light and Shadow (Jakarta), and Wounded Bull (Madiun). The nationalistic style was very prominent in these works. She got remarried to Dr. Slamet, founder of the Muhammadiyah University Solo. Tridjoto died from a fall in 1989.

  • Dirgantoro, Wulan. 2017. Feminism and Contemporary Art in Indonesia: Defining Experiences. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

The chapter “Haunting in the Archipelago” compared Emiria Sunassa and Mia Bustam to examine the foundation era of the ideology of modern Indonesian art. This paper attempted to link nationalism, art, and gender in the history of Indonesian art. It discussed the important period of the 1940s to 1960s through the framework of feminism and psychoanalysis. Emiria Sunassa's experience was comprehensively covered in the most recent collected studies on her. It included her diverse occupations and her journey to various places in Europe and remote Indonesia. She often lived with local indigenous people in various places in the hinterlands.

A chapter is dedicated to examine Emiria's works one by one. There were figures of various indigenous women presented in an unusual style that looked foreign to the cosmopolitans. The text also traced Emiria's nude and landscape paintings which were very different in style. In those works, there was a rediscovery of women, those who were indigenous and had a close-knit with Mother Earth; these are subjects that did not appear in the masculine imagination of the nation-state—a concept that was prominent at that time. The dark facets in Emiria's paintings were intended to re-question things that are on the margin and to reveal the unknown processes within the concept of understanding nationalism. Wulan argued that Emiria's paintings were political statements against the newly established republic. They were far from the narrow idea of masculinity and nationalism.

Discussed alongside Emiria, Mia’s creative years as a female painter were in the 1950s and it was cut short in 1965. Wulan approached Mia through her published memoirs. The publication of the memoirs had a gap of about a decade due to Mia’s status as a political prisoner. Most of Mia’s works could no longer be found, but the traces of her creative processes were documented in her memoirs. The figure of Mia and her activities as a female artist, apart from Sudjojono and her role in SIM and Lekra, were documented quite well in the writings. In both of Mia's memoirs, her struggles and artistic process were described in detail. Wulan believed that Mia Bustam and Emiria were extraordinary women who had succeeded in plaguing the Indonesian art world. Mia with her haunting notes had set herself as a female artist, shattered the myths of Sudjojono’s figure, and made us reconsider the role of female artists from time to time.

Maria Tjui was mentioned in one part of Mia Bustam's memoirs, in which she was also mentioned as a student of Sudjojono. Tridjoto Abdullah's short biography was written briefly in the footnotes.

  • Dirgantoro, Wulan. Interrogating the Feminine in Indonesian Modern and Contemporary Art. Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia 3, No. 1 (2019): 103-124.

Wulan attempted to compare female artists across generations, Emiria Sunassa (1894 - 1964) with IGAK Murniasih (1966 - 2001) and Dita Gambiro (born 1986) to reimagine the representation of the female bodies in the Indonesian visual arts. Emiria was labeled as the “Mother of Indonesian Modern Art" since she was one of the pioneers who were active in the art scene during the early days of the republic.

Formerly, her works often depicted portraits of various indigenous people, but in the later period, she painted many nudes. Wulan cited Arbuckle in her analysis of Emiria's nudes; it was stated that the paintings were attempts to escape her sickly body. Emiria sometimes added extra body parts in her paintings (legs, arms) and these paintings were made when she was self-isolating out of Jakarta. These paintings could also be seen as a resistance of an unattractive and unsettling body, opposing the colonial idea of women's bodies in paintings.

Wulan believed that Emiria's and IGAK Murniasih's works have similarities in the depiction of strange and fantastic body figures—IGAK Murniasih previously did not have references to Emiria's work (Emiria's works were only known to the public around the 2000s). She also argued that the works of female artists were seen as merely about “women's stuff”. Wulan elaborated her discussion by adding the development of the works of a contemporary female artist, Dita Gambiro, who had more flexibility in her creative process. Dita’s depiction of female bodies were not just specified to bodily issues.

Tridjoto Abdullah's name was mentioned as a reference in this journal; this is an example of how little we know about female artists.

  • Janti, Nur, 2018. Perempuan dalam Dunia Seni Rupa Indonesia (Women in the Indonesian Fine Arts Scene).

This article argued that patriarchy was the main obstacle in the careers of women artists in Indonesia. The article mentioned the names of women artists who were active from the 1960s to the 1990s, including Emiria Sunassa, Sriyani, Kustiyah, Ruliyati, and Kartika. Ironically, there was Zaini, a male painter, who got mentioned among these women's names.

  • Celestine, Titania. 2021. Merayakan Hari Ibu Koalisi Seni Mengingat Seniman Perempuan Yang Telah Dilupakan Sejarah. (Celebrating Mother’s Day, The Art Coalition Remembers Female Artists Who Got Forgotten by the History).

This paper was the result of an assessment by the Art Coalition to collect the names of missing or unpopular female artists. There were four female artists: Artemisia Gentileschi, Mia Bustam (Fransiska Emanuela Sasmiati), Emiria Sunassa, and Maryati. Their biographies were briefly mentioned in this article. Read the article here.

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