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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Poetry Book 'Kembang' by Oka Rusmini Explores Wounds of 1965 Survivors

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Balinese author Oka Rusmini has released a new poetry collection, "Kembang," exploring the buried historical memories of women affected by the 1965 political tragedy.
  • The collection is described as a mature aesthetic and political phase for Rusmini, who uses a more subtle "whispering" approach to critique adat and patriarchy.
  • "Kembang" is seen as an "exhumation" of historical trauma, drawing inspiration from documentaries and academic literature about the 1965 events and the experiences of female survivors.

Balinese author Oka Rusmini's latest work, the poetry collection "Kembang," delves into the suppressed historical memories of women, particularly those impacted by the 1965 political tragedy in Indonesia. Published by Gramedia Pustaka, this collection marks a significant evolution in Rusmini's artistic and political journey, moving from overt critiques of tradition and patriarchy to a more nuanced, "whispering" approach.

This work is an 'exhumation' or digging up of historical trauma, especially the 1965 tragedy, which is deposited in the bodies of women.

— Oka RusminiExplaining the central theme of her new poetry collection.

Senior editor Mirna Yulistianti of Gramedia Pustaka Utama lauded "Kembang" as an architectural achievement, comparing Rusmini's precise language to a meticulously designed building. Yulistianti noted that Rusmini constructs her poems with rigid, measured forms, using each word as a pillar or partition to create sharp political spaces. This deliberate construction, she explained, imbues the work with stable meaning and deep narrative weight, effectively conveying the experiences of women who survived the 1965 events.

Indonesian history is a patriarchal space where women's experiences are often removed from the records.

— Oka RusminiCommenting on the historical erasure of women's experiences.

Unlike Rusmini's previous works, which openly challenged social norms and traditions, "Kembang" adopts a quieter, more introspective path. Rusmini describes the book as an "exhumation" of historical trauma embedded within the female body, asserting that Indonesian history, as a patriarchal space, often omits women's experiences. Through an intimate micro-historical approach, she weaves together fragments of daily life from survivors like Karminah and Kusdalini into profound poetic narratives.

Oka treats the text like a precisely designed building with efficient language, a strong foundation of cultural mythology, and interlocking structural elements.

— Mirna YulistiantiDescribing the architectural quality of Rusmini's poetry.

The creative process for "Kembang" was significantly influenced by Fanny Chotimah's documentary "You and I" (2020), which captured the lives of two 1965 survivors, Kusdalini and Karminah. Additional inspiration came from Chris Bolan's documentary "A Secret Love," Adrian Mulya and Lilik HS's photo book "Pemenang Kehidupan" (Winner of Life), and various academic texts. These sources propelled Rusmini to explore the fractured side of history.

Instead of relying on fluid emotional outbursts, Oka constructs poems through rigid and measured structures. Each word functions as a pillar or partition to create sharp political spaces.

— Mirna YulistiantiAnalyzing Rusmini's poetic technique.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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