A series of 6 paintings (batik, various formats, longer side from 120 to 220 cm), photographs depicting batiks in the landscapes of Java Island

The works were created during a one-year Darmasiswa RI scholarship in Indonesia in the city of Yogyakarta, and an artist residency at the RedBase Foundation in Yogyakarta in 2017.

“You're a master...” is a story about abundance, passion, and fertility, in which human life is seen through the prism of relationships in the natural world. The concept is based on the equatorial nature of endless growth and unbridled development. 

The series of six large-format paintings develops the themes of timeless union, the close intertwining of opposing orders—the combination of the feminine and the masculine—and the closeness of the human world and nature. The perspective presented here stems from the perception of the world in accordance with the idea of the correspondence between the big and small worlds (the existence of analogous laws and principles in the macrocosm and microcosm).

Individual works show various motifs drawn from the culture, traditions, beliefs, and natural environment of Indonesia, and Java in particular. Inspirations include: 

• mythology and beliefs related to nature; the figure of Roro Kidul - Spirit of the Indian Ocean; worship of the Merapi volcano and the Indian Ocean; the urban layout of the city of Yogyakarta on the axis between masculine energy - the volcano, and feminine energy - the ocean
• traditional mask dance - a dance depicting the love story of Panji and Candrakirana; the heroes, pursued by their enemies, hide among the lush greenery, but lose their faces, visually merging with nature
• shadow theater (Wayang kulit) - Kayon/Gunungan motif - symbolic beginning of the world and act of creation; tree of life located between the mountain and the water;
• 13th-century literature - “Wanban Wideya. A Javanese Panji Romance”; “Arjunawiwaha, ”The marriage of Arjuna of Mpu Kanwa“ and ”Sumanasāntaka: An Old Javanese Epic Poem" (love relationships depicted using sophisticated metaphors - using relationships occurring in the natural environment); quotations (or paraphrases of quotations) from the above-mentioned books appear on 5 batiks
• sacred architecture (Hindu and Buddhist temples, the Lingam and Yoni motifs in architecture)
• the meaning of colors in Javanese culture - individual colors represent the outside world and human life

Works made using the batik technique require many hours of work and knowledge of the dyeing process. 

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In 2017, a scientific article by Salfia Rahmawati was published, analyzing the potential of artistic activities based on ancient literature. The article analyzes the project “You are a master at capturing my desire and affection.” The article is also available in book form: Naskah Nusantara: Antara Kekunoan dan Kekinian, 2018.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330322306_Transformasi_Naskah_Wanban_Wideya_dan_Sumanasantaka_dalam_Seni_Visual_karya_Marta_Weglinska