HeyDiaspora-Dec Issue

Dec 2019

Live the Art, Search Your Life Hear what the cast and crew has to say about the production, relive the moments in the show of art and soul-searching.

NUANSA 2019: LUKISAN JATI NUANSA is a cultural production group comprised of mainly Indonesian students that are studying in the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Through contemporary musical theatre, it aims to always show the beauty and diversity of Indonesian cultures. This year’s musical title was called “Lukisan Jati” and it was performed on 28 October 2019 in the University Cultural Center at the National University of Singapore.

“Lukisan Jati� depicts two people chasing the same dreams. The only difference is that their stories play out at different eras and timings. This is a story of a girl named Elsa and a man named Saleh, two Indonesians chasing their dreams and love for painting to other countries out of their comfort zone.

Elsa is a bright and kind girl from Indonesia who loves painting, and believing in her capabilities, she decided to study painting in Singapore. In the past, during the Netherlands’ colonialism in Indonesia

and way before Elsa’s time, there was a man named Saleh who also decided to chase his dreams of painting to the Netherlands.

Later on, Elsa made friends with 3 Singaporeans from her painting class, and she begins to realize that there are greater and more talented aspiring painters in this world besides her.

It was hard adjusting to her new situation as she didn’t expect to have many difficulties with fulfilling what she loved, painting.

She wanted to do a great job and get her painting selected for an art exhibition.

However, her teacher, Miss Siti, said that her painting was lacking a part of herself, and no matter how hard Elsa tried, her painting was not selected for the art exhibition.

She was hurt and lost, not knowing where to go from that point on. She was starting to doubt herself and whether painting is actually for her. “What if there was another fate that I was supposed to have?” she thought. Knowing Elsa’s inner conflicts, Miss Siti came and tried to comfort her by telling a story of an Indonesian painter of the past that had greatly inspired her.

The story was none other than that of Saleh, who went to the Netherlands, a land far away, to refine his mastery of painting.

He had studied and worked hard for years, and when he finally thought that he had painted his masterpieces, his art was not well received by the critics of Netherlands because he is a

foreigner and not a local painter. They all said that it would have been better if his artworks had been painted by a local. He got angry and felt that all his years of hard work were all for naught.

He was also lost like Elsa is; he felt that it does not matter how talented he was, people wouldn’t accept him based on where he came from.

But during those dreadful times, he found an old mail from his mother that saved him. His mother, whom he had neglected for the sake of his dreams, had told him to take care of himself and that she loved him as he was. Filled with purpose, he decided to find the true meaning of himself and started painting what he wanted to paint without restraint and care.

Hearing that story from Miss Siti, Elsa then strived to do the same and decided to find out more about herself, what she wanted to do, and who she actually is. Inspired

by Saleh, she chose not to give up and picked her paintbrush once more.

This musical is nothing short of excellent in showing the conditions of Elsa and Saleh’s life during their studies, and it managed to convey a rich message to the audience. With the accompaniment of orchestral music, backup dancers, the lighting, and costumes, this musical resulted in breathtaking and beautiful scenes incorporating both traditional and modern details. In addition, the whole cast played their roles soulfully and synchronized well with the flowing melody of the orchestra.

Compared to other musicals, the cast of “Lukisan Jati” was arguably of a smaller size, but this proved to be of advantage to “Lukisan Jati”, as the cast were able to fully indulge in their own unique characters, and thus the musical felt to be of richer characters. This is especially true for the character of Miss Siti, who was voted Most Favorite by the audiences that we talked with. According to them, the role of Miss Siti was played very beautifully and sincerely, with a masterful vocal and singing technique to go along.

All the songs managed to convey stories that described the characters’ feelings and actions, with different instruments and genres chosen for different scenes and arrangements. A lot of effort and consideration were also put into the orchestra and the different instruments as they clearly showed both the modern simplicity of Elsa’s time and also the traditional elegance of Saleh’s era.

Further, the dance choreography and costumes perfectly mixed the Indonesian culture and dance with contemporary dance and attributes, providing a spectacular depiction of two distinct eras for the audience. Moreover, there were especially a lot of paintings used that showed a lot of feelings and conveyed rich meanings in them, leaving it to the audience to speculate and draw their own meaning out of those paintings.

The moral of “Lukisan Jati� is that no matter who you are and what your dreams are, you should not give up on your dreams in spite of your circumstances and what others say. For Alex, the Corporate Relations Director of NUANSA 2019, it is okay to make mistakes, fail, and feel lost, but it is not okay to be someone you are not.

What is important is to slowly take your time in finding your true self and never give up on your dreams. It is important to know yourself, know your dreams, and persevere for those dreams so that you can achieve your ultimate happiness and fulfillment.

Overall, “Lukisan Jati� was a very delightful and inspiring show for the audience, especially the Elsa’s in the audience, Indonesian students studying and chasing their dreams in Singapore, including Kevin from Nanyang Technological University.

This show was very touching, emotional, and relatable for Kevin, who felt that the dilemmas of Elsa really resonated with him and the other audiences.

For all the Elsa’s out there, Jaclyn Chong, or known by most as Elsa, would like to say, “Don’t give up the fight [to achieve your dreams], you will make it there someday. You will find your own story someday, like Elsa!

Needless to say, NUANSA 2019 “Lukisan Jati” was nothing short of breathtaking and inspiring.

We are already looking forward to NUANSA 2020!