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Sixty-five paintings, largely the work of amateur artists, have been contributed to “Woman’s Hidden Talent,” an exhibition that recently opened in the gallery of The Japan Foundation in South Jakarta.

The works by artists from associations of Indonesian and Japanese female painters are scattered across the three rooms of the gallery.

The majority of the women discovered their hidden talent only after taking art classes as adults.

“Women are usually connected with domestic activities like nursing their babies, maintaining the house or taking care of other family members,” said Ira Adriati, the exhibition’s curator. “While the daily life of women is certainly not free from these activities, the women who are involved in the Indonesian Women Painters Association have made good use of their time to express themselves through their paintings.”

The paintings offer keen insights into the lives of ordinary women.

“To see these paintings is like understanding what these women are interested in,” Ira said. “In addition to appreciating the aesthetic value of their work, we can also realize their great skill and their ability in the art world.”

The women explore many of the same subjects — there are flowers of all shapes and sizes, Indonesian landscapes with fiery volcanoes and terraced rice fields, and typically Balinese subjects like the Barong dance. Many of the women also were inspired to paint Chinese-style ink and color-wash landscapes.

The Japanese women, all of whom live in Jakarta, depict colorful scenes of their daily lives away from home.

Haruyo, who moved from Japan to Indonesia in 2008, painted a vendor selling fruit at a traditional market. Michika Nakano, originally from Tokyo, and an art student since 2007, focused on several “ kaki lima ” (food carts) lined up next to each other on the roadside, selling local dishes like mie bakso and sate ayam .

In exchange, some of the Indonesian artists chose typically Japanese subjects for their paintings.

Marintan Susatio, the secretary of the Indonesian Women Painters Association, painted nine koi in yellow, orange, white and red, which are seen splashing around in a pond, leaving strings of little air bubbles in their wake.

In Japan, koi are a symbol of love and friendship, and in that regard a very appropriate subject matter for this exhibition, which aims to encourage a cultural exchange between Indonesia and Japan.

“Collaborations such as these are important and should be further developed in the future, not only in the world of visual arts, but also in other fields,” said Tio Jenie, who is the head of the Indonesian Women Painters Association.

“I think this exhibition is a good opportunity to not only draw some public attention to the participants, but also to strengthen the bonds between the two countries,” she said.

Woman’s Hidden Talent
Until Oct. 23
The Japan Foundation Jakarta
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62
South Jakarta
Tel. 021 520 1266