In Bali, women were once not encouraged to become artists,
as art was considered men's work. To help publicize and support
the efforts of women artists, Mary Northmore establishedthe
Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women in 1992 – the very
first, and still the only Gallery of its kind in all of Asia.
Where were you born?
I was born in a country town in England. From a young age
I really wanted to travel and see the world. But holidays
were never long enough to really go exploring, so I hit on
the idea of teaching English abroad. I taught in Italy, Greece,
and Hong Kong, where one highlight was taking the Trans-Mongolian
train from Beijing to Berlin in what was still the Soviet
Union. I found myself crossing Checkpoint Charlie, in the
wrong direction at 3 am with searchlights and guns trained
on me...wonderful!
When did you first come to Bali and why?
I first came to Bali as a result of a friend insisting that
I would really enjoy the art of Ubud. On that first trip to
Bali, I met someone who recommended that I visit the new Neka
Museum where I saw a gorgeous painting by one Abdul Aziz,
to whom she later introduced me. I was totally intrigued with
this man who got so excited about everything - music, dance,
art, books, travel. That was in 1983 and we married at the
end of 1988.
How did you get the idea for Seniwati Gallery?
The idea for Seniwati Gallery occurred to me in a very easy,
unplanned way. After moving to Ubud in 1989 I wanted to make
‘permanent’ women friends as I knew how unpredictable
a relationship with transient foreign friends can be. So I
went to the major galleries asking for names of women artists
and was astonished to be told that there were none! How could
that be when the Balinese were so famous for their artistry?
So I decided to ferret them out myself. My husband had taught
some female artists at the university here, friends started
asking around, and one male artist friend kindly took me around
the villages where he knew women artists lived and worked.
My husband was very helpful and supportive, volunteered his
old studio in central Ubud, and never seem to mind when the
housekeeping money melted away!
Are female artists now accepted by the Balinese art community?
I am saddened that we still have a long way to go. The major
museums here still ignore excellent local artists who happen
to be female. But we can’t get stuck on their shortcomings,
and at the national level, I do see some change. Internationally,
however, we have excellent recognition and many opportunities
for overseas exchanges.
What is the biggest problem you face?
The biggest problem is access to the markets. We are essentially
up against a lack of recognition of the skills of women artists
by the Balinese society. We need to remove these obstacles
and various preconceptions for future generations. If we find
talented girls and then help them develop into publicly acknowledged
artists, this problem might eventually melt away. We try to
find individual sponsors for each girl. We now have about
40 girls, aged 5 to 17, two wonderful local women who are
artist-teachers, and a whole lot of very proud families. How
can they not boast when their little girl wins a bicycle in
an art competition?
What are Seniwati’s plans for its future?
We have a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable gallery manager,
Ni Wayan Suarniti. She runs the gallery. My role is advisory
and I try not to interfere. As to our future plans, well,
of course I hope one day we won't be needed and as the status
of women in Bali changes, so will that of women artists. We
just have to be patient.
Could you tell us a little bit about your husband Abdul Aziz?
Abdul Aziz was a really wonderful man. I was very lucky he
came into my life. I learned so much from him, and we had
a good life together. He was brave to marry at 60 for the
first time, but we were both very independent, strong willed,
and loved Italy and speaking Italian. We had a lot in common.
Of course the ‘Famous Man’ element did affect
our lives somewhat. He received many important visitors, but
I was so busy with my own work that I seldom met them! Once
he got engrossed in making violins in the 1990s. People would
often ask me to ask him to do more paintings, but I understood
his passion for violins. Why should I pressure him to change?
What are your own artistic talents?
In the mid-1980s I studied maskmaking on Bali, but my teacher’s
verdict was that I was ‘hopelessly slow’ - though
he phrased it more tactfully.
I do enjoy making patchwork for my family, but my pieces are
not for sale. I had an exhibition in 2001 and it was a real
thrill to see them all hanging together!
Now my focus is 200% on my book about Abdul Aziz. The
title is "Abdul Aziz: A Magnetic Attraction" and
target publication date is October this year. It’s a
steep learning curve, but it’s fascinating! I remain
astounded at his artistic and musical abilities and have traced
some fantastic paintings - most in private collections whose
owners will never part with them - so you have to buy the
book to see them!
Drop by Seniwati Gallery in the heart of Ubud, Jalan Sriwedari
2-B, Br. Taman, tel: (0361) 975-485, or check out their website
at seniwatigallery.com, email: seniwati@dps.centrin.net.id.
Mary’s quilts can be viewed at: http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/seniwatigallery.
Phone the gallery to learn how to sponsor a female artist
of the future for only Rp300,000 per year.
Suggestions for interviews or comments may be sent to pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2004 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa
at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
