Batu by Ayu Permata Sari and Hasyimah harith
BATU
This process aims to discover and embody the stories found in the myths, spiritual beliefs, and social customs associated with the traditional grinding tool known as batu lesung/cobek within the Malay tribe community (Singapore-Lampung). Starting from the bodies of Malay women and these grinding tools, Ayu Permata Sari and Hasyimah Harith attempt to critique the prevailing narratives surrounding batu lesung/cobek in contemporary Malay women’s lives.
The
process of Batu's work serves as a mirror to introspect on what constitutes
tradition, Malay culture, women, domestic space, customary rules, behavioral
norms, religion-belief, myths, and the sense of shame for Lampung-Malay women.
This work also unfolds the essence related to the bonds, sensations, sensuality
of the female body, and women's empowerment in interpreting the female body in
past eras (the times of mothers and grandmothers) and now (the current era of
Ayu and Hasyimah). Batu's work does not seek to compare the empowerment of
women across eras, as we believe each era has its own methods, especially for
and by women negotiating with time, situations, cultures, and religions. Batu's
work emerges as a critical medium and reflective material in interpreting the
empowerment of Malay women in the present era through the experiences, circles,
and knowledge of the creator.
