Knitting The Meaning Of The Pistol Jokowi Is Carrying, Firm Face With Blue Background In Edi Headquarters' Unloading' Painting

JAKARTA - A painting of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) attracted attention in an exhibition themed Freedom of Harmony at the Grand Cempaka Hotel, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, August 23.

The painting exhibition in commemoration of the 77th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence was attended by the Secretary General of the PDI-P DPP Hasto Kristiyanto, Acting Mayor of Bekasi Tri Adhianto, Regent of Majalengka Karna Sobahi, and Deputy Mayor of Tegal M. Jumadi.

In the painting, Jokowi is seen carrying a gun, wearing a suit and a skullcap as if looking ahead. The painting entitled 'Bongkar' is dominated by dark colors, with blue, black, and green backgrounds.

In the description on the painting, Jokowi's picture is priced at Rp. 20 million at the exhibition. The painter, Edi Markas, recounts the inspiration behind him in drawing President Jokowi holding a gun.

"Indonesia was before Mr. Jokowi's period, right, it was messy, yes. There was a lot of corruption, KKN, that's the way it was. With Mr. Jokowi, Mr. Jokowi eradicated that, including cutting bureaucracy," said Edi Headquarters in an electronic message received at Jakarta, Tuesday, August 23.

Edi said that many people were helped by President Jokowi's policy of cutting bureaucracy.

"So, Pak Jokowi's philosophy of holding a gun is to disassemble, the title of the painting is Unload, to expose all things that are not good in Indonesia," he said.

Regarding Jokowi holding a gun pointing downwards, he continued, it means that the former governor of DKI Jakarta does not like violence.

However, Jokowi has strength and people around him protect him.

"Why isn't the gun lifted, well, under that, right, be careful, lo, like that. Simple, really," he explained.

Meanwhile, Hasto, who saw the painting, was then asked by reporters for his response. The man from Yogyakarta interprets the painting as describing President Jokowi as a firm figure.

"The assertiveness of Mr. Jokowi. This in my view is necessary and very important in maintaining social order, enforcing the law. So, not a gun is an understanding to act authoritarian, but as a form of symbolization from which artists express the president as a firm figure , a figure who builds social order through law enforcement," said Hasto.

According to Hasto, the gun in the painting depicting President Jokowi is likened to the firmness of a state leader. “That is, in Hasto Broto's wayang philosophy, there is also a leader, he can also act as a fire with his zeal to fix all things that are not good in society.

The painting of President Jokowi holding a gun measuring 110×120 cm with acrylic media is priced at Rp. 20 million.

In addition to Jokowi's pictorial paintings, this exhibition also presents paintings of the Proclaimer of the Republic of Indonesia Soekarno, his wife Fatmawati and depictions of everyday life.