Being a visual artist is an obscure choice in Indonesia, especially when you are a Chinese and a girl. In a country where majority of the people go to college and become part of the workforce once they are graduated, being an artist is to walk a path full of uncertainties. It is so anti-mainstream that even the closest ones to you won't know what to advise. This is a story of a talented young woman who followed her heart. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she faced it all and, against all odds, she made it to where she is today.
Her name is Leny Margiani, the youngest of four strong-willed sisters. She is a natural when it comes drawing, an artistic flair that is likely to be inherited from her father. She has a keen interest in oil pantings. Coloured pencils are also her personal favourite tools. For the longest time, she thought drawing was a hobby, until she had to decide what to do with her life. By the time she enrolled herself into art college, she embraced her destiny as an artist.
What interesting about art is, it doesn't discriminate. When you are good at it, people will acknowledge it. Leny was a friendly and helpful young girl with a raw talent waiting to be polished. The lecturers recognized this and when there was a student exchange programme, she was nominated as one of the candidates. A young Chinese that barely knew any words in Mandarin other than xièxiè soon found herself learning the art of drawing and painting in China.
One day in Nanning. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
What interesting about art is, it doesn't discriminate. When you are good at it, people will acknowledge it. Leny was a friendly and helpful young girl with a raw talent waiting to be polished. The lecturers recognized this and when there was a student exchange programme, she was nominated as one of the candidates. A young Chinese that barely knew any words in Mandarin other than xièxiè soon found herself learning the art of drawing and painting in China.
A capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning is definitely less well-known than other cities such as Guangzhou or Shanghai. Even the nearby Guilin is heard more often than Nanning. Leny spent a couple of months here, together with two other friends from Bandung that were studying at the same university. Always a good natured and smiley person, she also befriended some locals there and picked up some broken Chinese language that was enough to allow her to order some decent meals, including the renowned Guilin mǐfěn (rice noodles).
By the time she returned to Bandung and was about to join working society, things were rather bleak for the young artist. While the family understood that this was what she wanted to do, it was not exactly easy to wholeheartedly support a profession that didn't look promising at all, especially when it was compared with the nine-to-five jobs. As far as they were concerned, there wasn't any example of a successful local visual artist, so how it could be a profession for one to make a living was incomprehensible. As if that wasn't bad enough, deciding the price of her masterpiece for a sympathetic buyer was another headache as even the most supportive person might not be able to appreciate her art, thus might be unwilling to pay if she quoted too high.
The whale and a submarine. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
By the time she returned to Bandung and was about to join working society, things were rather bleak for the young artist. While the family understood that this was what she wanted to do, it was not exactly easy to wholeheartedly support a profession that didn't look promising at all, especially when it was compared with the nine-to-five jobs. As far as they were concerned, there wasn't any example of a successful local visual artist, so how it could be a profession for one to make a living was incomprehensible. As if that wasn't bad enough, deciding the price of her masterpiece for a sympathetic buyer was another headache as even the most supportive person might not be able to appreciate her art, thus might be unwilling to pay if she quoted too high.
She didn't give up, though. In order to make ends meet, Leny would take up whatever opportunities that she could grab, from becoming a wedding organizer crew member, selling bags online to giving private drawing lessons. At the same time, she also sharpened her skills by practicing, getting involved in exhibitions and attending the art community events.
The beauty of Bandung is how unique the cafés and restaurants are. The need of being unique eventually created a niche market of mural paintings. That was when Leny's fortune changed for the better. Together with her fellow artists, she worked hard on every project, literally. It was no bed of roses for the tiny little girl whom had to carry and shift the ladder all the time during the work. When the project was nearing the deadline, she would need to either stay overnight with the rest of the team to finish the painting or go home at wee hours. However, it was rewarding and satisfying.
Getting ready to "attack" the ship. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
The beauty of Bandung is how unique the cafés and restaurants are. The need of being unique eventually created a niche market of mural paintings. That was when Leny's fortune changed for the better. Together with her fellow artists, she worked hard on every project, literally. It was no bed of roses for the tiny little girl whom had to carry and shift the ladder all the time during the work. When the project was nearing the deadline, she would need to either stay overnight with the rest of the team to finish the painting or go home at wee hours. However, it was rewarding and satisfying.
Things seemed to be looking up now. In whatever spare time she has, Leny is taking up orders for something she calls gipaws (it seems to be a local term, because the internet doesn't return any matching results). It is an art of painting dogs or human faces on the wood and, as it has a whole lot of cuteness, it can be a perfect gift for loved ones. Leny also understands that she still can go further, so she plans to get a master degree scholarship to study fine art.
How about her dreams? She imagines that one day she will come up with something that reflects her style, an art she can proudly call her own. Looking back, she has no regrets of never working in office. She has paid her dues and she's an artist now, just as good as any other jobs and, most importantly, it's a job that she loves and excels at. Looking forward to the future, she knows it still can get better for her...
Gipaws, the allegedly local art. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
How about her dreams? She imagines that one day she will come up with something that reflects her style, an art she can proudly call her own. Looking back, she has no regrets of never working in office. She has paid her dues and she's an artist now, just as good as any other jobs and, most importantly, it's a job that she loves and excels at. Looking forward to the future, she knows it still can get better for her...
Posing in front of her art. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
Pelukis Mungil Itu...
Menjadi seorang pelukis adalah pilihan yang langka di Indonesia, apalagi ketika yang memilih adalah seorang gadis Tionghoa. Di negara di mana mayoritas penduduk yang melanjutkan pendidikan di universitas biasanya menjadi tenaga kerja kantoran setelah lulus, menjadi seorang seniman berarti melangkah di jalan yang penuh ketidakpastian. Seniman adalah profesi yang sungguh tidak lazim, yang sering membuat keluarga terdekat tidak yakin harus memberikan nasehat apa. Berikut ini adalah cerita dari seorang wanita berbakat yang mengikuti kata hatinya. Dia tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi esok, tapi ia hadapi semuanya dan perjuangannya dalam melewati suka-duka hidup seorang seniman mengantarkannya pada hari ini.
Namanya Leny Margiani, paling muda dari empat bersaudari. Melukis adalah sesuatu yang alami baginya, sebuah bakat seni yang mungkin diturunkan dari ayahnya. Dalam melukis, ia lebih cenderung memilih cat minyak dan pensil warna. Awalnya dia berpikir bahwa melukis adalah hobi, namun semuanya berubah ketika dia harus memutuskan apa yang ingin ia lakukan dalam hidupnya. Di saat ia mendaftarkan diri ke perguruan tinggi, Leny pun menuruti panggilan nuraninya untuk menjadi seniman.
Yang menarik dari seni adalah bagaimana seni itu tidak mengenal diskriminasi. Ketika seseorang memang berbakat dan bisa, yang lain akan mengakuinya. Leny adalah seorang yang ceria, bersahabat dan memiliki bakat yang menunggu untuk diasah. Dosen-dosen yang sering berdiskusi dengannya bisa melihat potensi ini. Oleh karena itu, tatkala ada program pertukaran pelajaran, dia pun direkomendasikan untuk berpartisipasi. Gadis Tionghoa muda yang lancar berbahasa Sunda tapi hampir sama sekali tidak mengenal Mandarin (kecuali xièxiè, mungkin) ini akhirnya mendarat di Cina untuk belajar seni lukis.
Bersama dengan dua temannya, Leny belajar di kampus Nanning selama beberapa bulan. Bagi yang belum pernah mendengar tentang kota ini, Nanning adalah ibukota Daerah Otonomi Guangxi, sekitar 3,5 jam dari Guangzhou bila menggunakan kereta cepat. Selama berada di sana, Leny juga berteman dengan penduduk lokal dan belajar beberapa patah kata Mandarin yang berguna baginya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, misalnya untuk memesan makanan (salah satunya adalah Guilin mǐfěn atau mie Guilin).
Salah satu lukisan dinding Image credit: Leny Margiani |
Sewaktu ia kembali ke Bandung dan bersiap-siap untuk terjun ke dalam masyarakat, ia menemui banyak rintangan yang menghadang. Dari pihak keluarga, semua mengerti bahwa berkarya di bidang seni adalah sesuatu yang ingin dia kerjakan, tapi di satu sisi, tidaklah mudah bagi orang tua dan kakak-kakaknya untuk mendukungnya menekuni sebuah profesi yang sama sekali tidak jelas. Bagaimana seorang seniman bisa membiayai hidupnya adalah sesuatu yang tidak bisa mereka pahami, sebab tidak seorang pun pernah menjalaninya. Dari Leny sendiri, ia juga mengalami banyak kesulitan, misalnya saja dalam menentukan harga hasil karyanya. Semua itu bergantung sepenuhnya pada apresiasi seni pembeli.
Kendati demikian, ia tidak menyerah. Untuk membayar kebutuhan hidup sehari-hari, Leny mengerjakan apa saja yang bisa ia dapatkan, mulai dari ikut serta menjadi anggota wedding organizer, menjual tas secara online sampai memberikan kursus menggambar. Untuk mengembangkan diri, ia juga terus berlatih serta hadir dalam pameran lukisan dan acara komunitas seniman.
Melukis kapal. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
Dan kesempatan pun tiba. Salah satu hal yang unik dari Bandung adalah kafe dan restorannya. Semua berlomba-lomba menghiasi tempatnya dengan disain yang tiada duanya. Kebutuhan akan lukisan di dinding pun menciptakan pangsa pasar yang hanya bisa diisi oleh pelukis seperti Leny. Bersama teman-teman sesama seniman, Leny pun mengerjakan proyek demi proyek. Tidak gampang tentunya bagi seorang gadis kecil bekerja sambil memindahkan tangga sepanjang waktu. Belum lagi ketika ia harus bekerja sampai larut malam untuk menyelesaikan proyeknya sebelum hari-H. Meski melelahkan, semua kerja keras itu ada nilai kepuasan tersendiri dan juga cukup menghasilkan.
Dengan adanya pekerjaan yang berkesinambungan, keadaan pun mulai membaik baginya. Di kala ia memiliki waktu senggang, Leny juga menerima pesanan gipaws (sebuah istilah lokal, sepertinya, karena internet tidak menjelaskan apa pun tentang ini), lukisan anjing atau wajah manusia di atas bahan kayu. Karya yang menggemaskan ini seringkali dipesan untuk dijadikan hadiah. Leny juga menyadari bahwa masih banyak yang bisa ia pelajari, karena itu dia lantas berencana untuk mendapatkan beasiswa gelas Master di ITB untuk jurusan fine art.
Apa cita-citanya sekarang? Pelukis yang gemar melukis wajah manusia ini berharap bahwa ia akan mampu menciptakan karya yang khas dirinya, yang bisa langsung dikenali oleh penikmat seni sebagai karyanya. Ketika ia melihat kembali, tiada rasa sesal karena tidak bekerja di kantor. Dia telah bekerja keras membayar harga dari sebuah impian dan dia seorang seniman sekarang, sebuah pekerjaan yang sama baiknya dengan yang lain. Lebih penting lagi, ia menikmati apa yang ia kerjakan dan memiliki kelebihan sendiri di bidangnya...
Gipaws, karya "Giani". Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
Apa cita-citanya sekarang? Pelukis yang gemar melukis wajah manusia ini berharap bahwa ia akan mampu menciptakan karya yang khas dirinya, yang bisa langsung dikenali oleh penikmat seni sebagai karyanya. Ketika ia melihat kembali, tiada rasa sesal karena tidak bekerja di kantor. Dia telah bekerja keras membayar harga dari sebuah impian dan dia seorang seniman sekarang, sebuah pekerjaan yang sama baiknya dengan yang lain. Lebih penting lagi, ia menikmati apa yang ia kerjakan dan memiliki kelebihan sendiri di bidangnya...
Mengerjakan taman bermain para malaikat. Image credit: Leny Margiani. |
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