‘Aca & Ica: Collected Stories’ Chronicling What It Means to be a Young Woman in Jakarta
Artist, writer, and illustrator Ula Zuhra has published her first self-illustrated graphic novel, Aca & Ica: Collected Stories with Cahyati Press, Bali. The graphic novel follows two twenty-something best friends, Aca & Ica, as they navigate life in Jakarta as “unwomanly women.” As the premise promises, Aca & Ica are young women navigating a patriarchal city.
The pair have to face everything from career pressures, toxic friendships, abusive relationships, lack of women’s sexual health awareness, and even marital pressures from their parents and siblings. All this makes Aca & Ica: Collected Stories a wonderful coming-of-age tale, despite the fact that its characters are slightly older than the teenagers that permeate the genre.
Events in the book are raw like those in The Worst Person in the World, yet they are still imbued with every ounce of the tenderness that may be found in works such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Aca & Ica: Collected Stories concludes with a satisfying and momentous scene that involves the characters and a bridge. At the end of the day, the graphic novel tells the story of two messy and imperfect young women, who are trying their best to live authentically in a society that demands them to be anything but themselves. This is why Aca & Ica: Collected Stories is relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality.
One of the collected stories, Aca in Ovary, reads as if it were an exhibition review of an exhibition by Alana P. (Aca & Ica’s friend) in the fictional GUSSH magazine. The review, written by Aca, begins as any other review would, with Aca adding her own personal interpretation of the artwork, which includes a sculpture that resembles a blood clot. The review is interrupted by Alana herself, who asks if Aca would join her for a cigarette. Here, the review becomes a heartfelt interview, where Alana opens up about her miscarriage, infertility and the strain it has brought onto her marriage.
”The ovary is the great authority. It determines our value to the world in the eyes of society. When you’re infertile, where does that leave you? A woman with an open wound, a hole for a body. I’ve hit a cul-de-sac in my road to salvation,” says Alana in her monologue. Aca & Ica: Collected Stories is filled with such reflections on womanhood, which question traditional gender roles and societal norms that have been infringing on women's and girls’ freedom across the globe.
In Aca & Ica: Collected Stories, Ula Zuhra crafts a poignant and relatable narrative that explores the complexities of being a young woman in Jakarta. The graphic novel is an unfiltered and heartwarming portrayal of two imperfect women striving for authenticity in a world that demands conformity. By offering an honest reflection on womanhood and the challenges faced by women, Aca & Ica: Collected Stories contributes to the broader conversation on gender equality and resonates with readers across different cultures.
Find out more about Aca & Ica: Collected Stories by Ula Zuhra by checking her Instagram @ulazuhra and Cahyati Press' Instagram @cahyati.press.