Batik of Woman's Aspiration

To cling firmly to the nation’s cultural traditional values and religious excellence, Anang Asmara’s works is felt so strong to philosophic aura. Anang is dedicated and loyal to document batik motives on his canvas. His canvas surface is occasionally full of batik designs, but sometimes he also displayed the wearing function of batik cloth wrapped around the figure who is using it.

Batik in Anang Asmara’s view appeared as something that is stuck to simplicity. That impression came from the fact that figures wearing batik in his works. They are common community members, such as female vendors selling vegetables in the marketplace, or female dancers and other traditional art activists.

They are illustrated in simple activities too. In such minor activity as two figures shown while in a friendly meeting (“Areronce Sinambi Jejagongan”) or two old aged women conversing between themselves (“Dialog”). Nevertheless, the simple figures of Anang are not weak ones. Anang just as if wanted to express, how in a simplicity strength and flexibility is actually stored to exercise the hardship of this life. This fact is recorded in the series of Anang’s works - The Ballad’s of Strong Women”.

“The Ballad’s of Strong Women” series appeared to be as Anang’s appreciation for his astonishment upon the personality of woman. Not against the body, but more on the role played by a woman in life. If one may say probably the Javanese woman figure in the past, whose performance was well-mannered and elegant in her batik fashion and “kebaya” (long – sleeved blouse).

Thus it can be concluded that the woman figure’s image wrapped around with batik on Anang’s work is a shape of yearning upon the performance of a Javanese woman in the past. Likewise as it is contained within his works “Maju dalam Gaya, Merosot dalam Moral” (= Progressing in Style, Declining in Moral). There is irony shown through the personality of women presently, in which they became more beautiful, but they are not maintaining the values of politeness anymore. What a pity, a lot of Anang’s work are available in minimalism sizes. As a consequence the large gallery space is felt as “empty”.