The Guardian (Pengayom)
$288.00
The Guardian (Pengayom) is featured in aNERDgallery’s exhibition inVISIBLE: Exploring and Redefining Femininity Through Batik, in partnership with Together-Gether SG.
inVISIBLE Exhibition Artwork Label
Flowers in this piece represents beauty inside and out. Rwabhineda, or poleng, depicted by the alternating black and white boxes symbolises two opposing characters blending together as a unit in Balinese philosophy. The parang design embodies the relentless personality, like waves that never stop. A pair of Javanese dragon is a figure of protector. This work is a metaphor for a feminine figure as the pillar of strength and guardian both at home and in the community, while exuding beauty from within and out.
Commissioned as part of aNERDgallery’s exhibition inVISIBLE: Exploring and Redefining Femininity Through Batik, Ratih expressed femininity through four different elements:
- Flowers: representing the tenderness and beauty both inside and outside.
- Poleng: the yin and yang in Balinese philosophy, two opposing characters living as harmoniously as one.
- Parang: symbolising the relentless personality, like wave that never stop.
- Javanese dragons: the emblem of the Royal Palace of Yogyakarta commonly seen at the entrance gate are figures of protectors, the guardian.
This work is a metaphor for a feminine figure as a pillar of strength, a life support, a guardian both at home and in the community. Undeniably, there are two opposing forces in every female figure. However, each has a soul that never gives up to fight for what’s right for her family and society. The focus on the dragons is marked by the colourful character against the traditional batik pedalaman (inland batik) colours of earth brown and black.
For this work, the white cloth is first dyed with beige colour before any waxing step. After the first dyeing and the outline is waxed, the dragons are coloured using a colet (brushing) method. These colourful dragons and selected areas of the other three elements are waxed to protect the colours of the dragon as well as to create pattern and lines on the other background motifs. After dipping into darker brown, more areas are covered with wax to protect the dye, before finally dipping into black vat. Finally, the cloth are boiled in soda ash solution to remove the wax.
- Size: 225 cm x 105 cm (88.6” x 41.3”)
- Material: Naphtol and Rhemasol dye on Primissima cotton
- Pattern: Flower, poleng, parang, dragon
- Technique: Hand-drawn batik
- Production Area: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Year of Production: 2018
Listing last update: 14 May 2018.
