Jakarta, Indonesia, is one of the world’s megacities. With a population of over 31 million, it is the world’s second-most populous city, lagging slightly behind Tokyo, Japan. Three women artists from the city: Clasutta, Tusita Mangalani, and Zita Nuella, are exhibiting together in Mixed Feelings: Ad Maiora, to reflect on their experiences of the city, especially when it comes to their inner turmoil and mental health.
The exhibition is held to commemorate their graduation from the Atreyu Moniaga Project, an incubation and mentorship programme for young artists by renowned Indonesian artist Atreyu Moniaga. The exhibition’s primary title, Mixed Feelings, is given to all Atreyu Moniaga Project graduates for their premiere show, a task from the maestro to encourage his pupils to dig deep into themselves when putting out artworks. The exhibition’s sub-title, Ad Maiora, is unique to the group. Taken from the Latin saying “Ad maiora natus sum”, the phrase translates into “I am born for greater things.”
The three artists use the exhibition’s emphasis on Ad Maiora (Greater Things) to convey to their audiences the often paradoxical nature of their lived experiences in Jakarta. They are constantly pushed to act as nothing more than a cog in the city’s machine. Still, through the pieces, the artists show that they have found ways to express themselves despite the pace of life in the city.
Clasutta displays works that depict her frustrations with climbing the corporate ladder; Tusita Mangalani speaks of the perils of anxiety borne from living in the city. Last but not least, Zita Nuella ascribes her feelings around depression derived from living in a large city. This is why the exhibition Mixed Feelings: Ad Maiora is relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health And Well-Being.
Clasutta’s on-display pieces, a series of works titled Clockwork Chaos, follow a day in the life of an office worker in Jakarta. Their day begins early at 07.00: Manggarai, where reddish birds with slightly different appearances stand in a queue at Manggarai, Jakarta’s largest transit station, which connects the inter-city commuter line trains with buses and airport transfer trains. As the day progresses, several domestic animals, such as ducks, poodles, and sheep, sweat and stress their way through office paperwork. They work all the way into the early morning hours, which is reflected in 03.00: Blue Screen Tragedy. This piece shows a sheep staring ahead in defeat at what can only be a computer screen. The screen casts a blue glow against the sheep’s face, permeating into the background. Screaming little sheep float atop its head, symbolizing its horror at the fact that it will have to be up in 4 hours to make its 07.00: Manggarai morning commute.
Tusita Mangalani’s series, titled Charlotte Chaos, tracks how her anxious thoughts have taken over her life. She represents these thoughts as crocheted, embroidered, and braided pieces of yarn that she then tufts onto her canvas. Each intricate piece in the series takes over three months to create. In Nothing but My Heartbeat, her anxious thoughts have gotten so overwhelming that the represented figure appears to be drowning, struggling for a breath of fresh air and a break from their debilitating anxious thoughts.
However, in other pieces, such as The Waterfall’s Secret, the depicted woman is able to sit with their anxious thoughts. The figure has their backs turned towards the viewer, they seem to be looking down at their hands that people can easily imagine cradling their anxious thoughts. This figure is learning how to observe and sit with their emotions, not to let their thoughts get the best of them, so they can move through life in the city with resilience.
Lastly, Zita Nuella displays her series Lonesome Monolog. The only abstract artist in the trio, Nuella’s pieces appear calm and unsettling simultaneously. Her pieces reflect on the loneliness and depression that can often arise from living in a fast-paced city where most people focus on prioritizing their work over nurturing a community around them. The works starkly depict the alienation one experiences as an outcome of this predicament. In every piece, there appear to be two distinguishable entities: a large web-like mass and a small circular blob that appears to have broken off from the web. The blob can be read as ‘the loner’, setting themselves apart from the web, which represents society and community at large. Strangely enough, each lonesome blob has a single red line that strikes through them. Depending on the viewer’s interpretation, the line could either lead the blob back to the web or lead it further astray. It represents a choice that everyone struggling with their mental health must make — to courageously ask for help or risk fighting it alone.
Mixed Feelings: Ad Maiora powerfully captures the mental health struggles of living in a bustling metropolis like Jakarta through the lens of three talented women. Clasutta, Tusita Mangalani, and Zita Nuella present deeply personal and resonant works that reflect their unique experiences and emotions. By sharing their stories, they invite viewers to acknowledge and address the often-overlooked mental health challenges faced by women in urban environments.
Find out more about the exhibited pieces at Mixed Feelings: Ad Maiora by checking Atreyu Moniaga project’s Instagram on @atreyumoniaga.project, and their exhibiting artists Clasutta (@clasutta), Zita Nuella (@zitanuella), and Tusita Mangalani (@tusitamangalani).