PRASASTI KELUARGA, translated as ‘Family Inscription,’ is part of my journey to explore, relearn, reclaim, and reinterpret my Javanese culture and heritage. As a nomadic Javanese, I often feel detached from the core of my cultural identity. My family and I hail from Central Java, particularly Surakarta and Semarang, but I spent much of my childhood in Medan, where we blended into the local community. Bandung welcomed us briefly, and Makassar was a fleeting encounter. Navigating these diverse cultures sometimes makes me forget my Javanese roots.
Visits to my grandparents’ house often involve moments of grappling with communication; while my siblings and I understand the language, we strive to speak it. This background has driven my desire to understand my Javanese culture from a nomadic perspective.
My exploration began with oral tradition, primarily through phone calls with my paternal grandfather (with the help of my father), and I also began learning the Javanese writing system, while looking at old Javanese manuscripts. Although I may not fully understand their meanings, I find the drawings and illustrations fascinating, particularly one of the loveliest ones called Serat Damar Wulan (MSS.Jav.89).
Today, the Javanese script, has largely become a ‘cultural artefact’–unread and underappreciated by many. This reflects the broader implications of mobility on how cultural practices and identities are transformed through migration and globalisation. In this context, the Javanese script symbolises a rich heritage that risks being forgotten in the currents of contemporary life.
This series–a manuscript-like collection–examines and interprets my family’s personal narratives, humour, and expression written in the Javanese script. Through this artistic process, I reinterpret the Javanese tradition of storytelling, particularly the Javanese shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit) and the Javanese manuscript, integrating them into my family’s personal narratives as a nomadic Javanese family, often with a humorous touch. The multiple printmaking mediums in this series align with how I navigate through different cultures while trying to embody my Javanese identity. In doing so, I also recognise the complexities of my identity; recently, I discovered that my maternal late grandfather had Dutch heritage, which adds another layer to my identity. This revelation marks a new beginning–an initial step in reclaiming the Javanese heritage in a way that feels authentic to me.
I would like to express my gratitude to my father and paternal grandfather. This project would not have been feasible without their contribution.