Quest of Folklore & Local Wisdom – Cerita Kaca

When we were little, our parents and grandparents shared with us folklores/folk tales to enlighten us about our culture and wisdom hidden behind them. Over time, we may remember fragments of those tales as it created a fond childhood memory for us with our families.

Captured by Riop (Riop)

Visiting the recent “Cerita Kaca” exhibition at Dia.lo.gue felt like taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting my childhood memories when I read folk tales and even listened to them. But, what was completely different during this eye-opening exhibition is discovering how these folklores have been hand painted into glass paintings. The artworks opened up a new horizon making me wonder how each of them portrayed creativity and attention to detail.

Captured by Riop (Riop)
Cerita rakyat adalah produk budaya yang disebarkan dan diwariskan secara lisan dan turun-temurun. Oleh karena terbatasnya ingatan manusia, cerita rakyat mengalami proses interpolasi, yakni penambahan unsur-unsur cerita. Selain sebagai alat edukasi dan cara masyarakat untuk menyintas dari musibah atau ketidakpastian, cerita rakyat juga berfungsi sebagaikritik sosial masyarakat kepada kekuasaan.

Folklore is a cultural product that is passed down orally from generation to generation. Due to our limited human memory, folk tales undergo a process of interpolation, by adding story elements. Apart from being an educational tool and a way for people to survive disaster or uncertainty, folklore also functions as a social criticism of society towards power.

It was fascinating to know that this kind of art existed since the 14th century in Europe and spread to Southeast Asia through trade in the 19th century. Various artworks were displayed by the curators Chabib Duta Hasporo and Hermawan Tanzil. The artworks showcased a variety of styles from Wayang to Chinese paintings to architecture including some comic impersonations of the famous Punokawan characters.

The curator Hermawan Tanzil’s vision behind this exhibition is that with time we are beginning to forget folklore. He intends to educate the public that art can be acquired by everyone not just the elite society. Despite the challenges faced in convincing collectors to lend their artworks they managed to complete curating this exhibition in two and half years. The curators have done exceptionally well in creatively executing this exhibition.

One of the artists that was also showcased was Rastika, a Cirebon glass painting maestro. He is a well-known glass painter who is also known for painting “Citra Indonesia” (Map of Indonesia) a 3.5 x 11.5 meter glass painting. His artworks had a unique style with a touch of Cirebon. One particular artwork that was quite interesting and one of a kind was the depiction of Ganesha with Islamic calligraphy which personally felt like it portrayed syncretism between two religions.

The message Hermawan Tanzil would like to share with the younger generation through this exhibition: “One must have their own unique identity as it is extremely important. Just like when looking at artwork it’s not the aesthetics but also the story and journey behind it that matters. Learn to observe the surroundings and be considerate, sensitive and open-minded. And of course, always love your culture.”

A visit to this exhibition is highly encouraged, who knows you may want to visit it a few times to immerse yourselves in the stories the artworks have to share. The exhibition ends on 19th April 2024. Discover, contemplate and stimulate your imagination!


Simran Ishwar

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