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Semar (left)
Arguably the most beloved
Wayang character is Semar.
First of the Punawakan,
Semar is actually the
earthly form of a deposed
god, providing wisdom to
the heroes and exercising
authority of Shiva himself.
This austere image is coupled
with comedic behavior and
chronic farting.
Siwa (left)
In both the
Ramayana
and
Mahabharata
stories,
Siwa
is the
King of Gods (Batara Guru), the
divine teacher, and the sovereign
of
Suralaya
(kingdom of gods in the
Wayang stories). In the trilogy of the
Hindu gods,
Brahman
is the creator,
Vishnu
is the preserver and
Siwa
is the
destroyer. As a character seen as both
good and evil, his role is to destroy
then rebuild the universe, which
symbolizes rebirth in Hinduism. The
third eye is the iconic representation
of
Siwa
.
Cepot (below)
A part of both the
Mahabharata
and
Ramayana
stories. However,
the
panakawan
(male servants) are a class of character that are a
Japanese addition to the Hindu epics. They serve the heroes and are
an audience favorite. They can speak about present-day situations,
but also joke about almost anything.
The messages contained in wayang range from whimsical
to profound. Semar’s goofy nature portrays him as an
entertaining clown, but he is also thought to be a God
in human form. Some stories and characters engage in
Indonesia’s political history, particularly Dutch colonialism.
Wayang may have been used as a medium of negotiating
relationships between indigenous people and colonial
officials. Connections to political life did not fade following
national independence, and wayang has been used to spread
political messages. Wayang has been responsive to changes
in Indonesian society, revealing its deeply rooted place as
a form of expressive culture.
Creating the LUMA exhibit involved the efforts of students,
faculty, scholars, and museum staff. Working with the
wayang from the May Weber Collection, the students
catalogued, researched, and selected which puppets to
include in the exhibit. We experimented with label text
and mounts, planned educational programs and assembled
supplementary materials. This partnership allowed students
to learn from and work directly with LUMA staff. Inspired
by both Loyola’s social justice mission and the Indonesian
concept of
tolerensi
(tolerance or inclusion), we hope that
the exhibit and its programming with bring about an
appreciation of the wayang tradition, as well as the use
of the museum space to engage in discussions of issues
relevant to our local community.