PREFACE

Budaya is a word in the Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu

languages that means cultures. The world is becoming smaller and

smaller everyday. This gives us more compelling reasons to study

cultures as they exist without assigning judgmental values.

Budaya is an art folio that contains a medley of visual metaphors

that illuminate the cultures of Southeast Asia and South Korea.

Each visual metaphor takes on various themes such as mutuality,

sameness, appreciation, acceptance, diversity and values.

Moreover, each visual metaphor contains descriptions that

manifest beliefs or attitudes toward these cultures.

The origin of these interpretative visuals arises from classroom

discussions about the paintings published in the book Cultural

Understanding through Paintings of Southeast Asia and Korea. The

21 paintings come from seven countries, namely, Cambodia,

Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The visual metaphors in this folio, 20 in total, are an eye delight.

Here you will see motifs such as the bagua, natural objects like

flowers and even practical tools like umbrella. Indeed, the visuals

demonstrate the creativity and interpretative skills of the students

as they engage in an academic enquiry of Southeast Asian and

Korean cultures.

BAGUA

Stefania Valentina and Felicia

Though Chinese in origin, the bagua aptly describes

the cultures of Southeast Asia and Korea. These

cultures carry different representations of realities:

good and bad, strong and weak, broken and

unbroken, heaven and earth, rich and poor,

happiness and misery. The Dano Festival (Korean

wrestling), for instance, has been a celebration that

gathers opposites of sorts: young - old and poor -

rich.

All in all, the bagua is a reminder that cultures

embody representations of realities. They are not just

celebrated during specific months of the year; they

are actually being lived every single day.

2

BUTTERFLY ON A FLOWER

Andre Prasetyo Arifin and Sherine Amanda Feryanto

A butterfly lands on a flower to get nourishment. It

usually sets on a top of the flower to drink the

nectar.

Aren't we all just like butterflies needing some

nourishment? The cultures of Southeast Asia and

Korea feed our minds with an understanding that not

all cultures are created the same. They also feed our

hearts with an appreciation to the beauty of these

cultures.

4

CHAMELEON SHOE

Hyacynthia Kesuma and Laudya Jenita

A shoe is made up of a variety of raw materials. Like

a shoe, cultures in Southeast Asia and South Korea

are varied. The diversity can be seen in the levels of

origin, beliefs, values and practices.

Southeast Asian and South Korean cultures are like a

chameleon. Chameleons have the natural ability to

change colors depending on the surrounding

environment. Cultures also have adaptive tendencies.

They may adapt to new conditions but the essence

would always remain the same

6

CIRCLES

Christopher Dennis Budiaman and Ryan Soenardi

The ten circles represent the ten countries in

Southeast Asia. If we notice, the circles overlap each

other. This means that there are cultural similarities

and differences among these nations.

The earth in the middle of the overlapping circles

symbolizes human affairs that shape these cultures.

These human affairs include formal education,

dialogue and cooperation which are tools for

intercultural understanding.

8

DINING ROOM

Andrew Harman and Tifano Sebastian Pandu Pratama

A superlative metaphor that describes our cultures in

the region is the dining room. It is in the dining room

where food is shared, where ideas are raised, where

laughter is exchanged, and where each and every

member unites in the comfort of food.

In the same way, our cultures are like a dining room.

They provide the space to share and raise ideas, to

exchange views and to articulate feelings.

10

EYE

Bram Musuko Panjaitan and Nico Alexander

The cultures of Southeast Asia and Korea are truly an

eye-opener: they break stereotypes of exoticism, they

diversify views, they explain histories, religions,

spirituality and politics, and they demonstrate

complex social practices. This is why we feel that an

eye is the best metaphor to explain it all.

A closer look at the eye shows a multicolored iris.

This represents the heterogeneity of cultures. Seen

from this perspective, it recognizes that cultures must

be appreciated and understood.

12

GEARS

Nicole Fay and Viola Fladia

This image illustrates gears of identical sizes that work

in a sequence. The circular arrangement of the gears

produces a mechanical advantage as in a simple

machine.

ASEAN cultures work in the same ways as these gears.

Although there are differences, there are cultural

similarities that drive the region to work together.

When one culture meshes with another culture, it

gives an impression that cultures aim to have a

common direction: the championing of local values

and identities.

14

HAND FAN

Brigitta Gloria and Ignacia Antoinette Kasim

Waved back and forth, a hand-held fan provides

cooling by displacing the warmer air produced by

our body heat. It is shaped like a sector of a circle

and made of thin materials. It revolves around a

pivot so that it can be opened and closed.

The different festivals in Southeast Asia and South

Korea are like this multicolored hand-held fan. Each

country has festivals to be uniquely proud of but they

are looped in one axis: acceptance. A sincere

acceptance that cultures vary from one another

provides an air of comfort.

16

HANDS

Nathanael Bryant Be and Philipus Valentino

Through helping hands, cultures can understand each

other. Understanding appears in many forms:

education, dialogue, pacts, programs and exchanges.

In this image, the hands are spread; they are wide

open enough to take in other ideas even different

from their own. They are hands that are accepting,

willing and embracing.

18

HOME

Eugenia Angesti Meganingtyas, Eunike Eileen Emeralda and

Anila Dimarsa

Home is where the heart is. Deep in our hearts, we

can feel our cultures that have been shaping us.

In this photo, the home is built on a solid ground

made of granite stones. Our cultures rest on strong

foundations as well. Our values and histories as

people in one region give us a firm and solid footing

in who we were, who we are and who we will be.

In Asia, we are truly home.

20

JIGSAW

Amanda Hertantu and Priscillia Tandavo

This puzzle represents the interconnectedness of

cultures in Southeast Asia and South Korea. Each

piece of puzzle shows a country's uniqueness.

Formed together with other pieces, a meaningful

whole can be seen.

Even as cultures have many differences, there will

always be a sense of whole. This can be manifested in

human efforts to strive for dialogue, peace and

understanding.

Southeast Asian and Korean cultures are distinct

pieces of puzzle. These pieces can complete each

other. Seen as a completed whole, these cultures can

create a bigger picture.

22

MOBILE PHONES

Antonius Andrew Hadinata and Jonathan Jordy

Mobile phones make it possible for us to be

connected with others. It also makes possible other

applications that can ease our work, business, and so

on. With mobile phones, it appears that there is a

wealth of possibilities.

Our cultures are just like our handy mobile phones.

Learning cultures of different Southeast Asian nations

help us to be connected with our counterparts. The

connections become intensified through shared

values. Likewise, when we learn these cultures, we

face possibilities of understanding, compassion,

mutuality and tolerance

24

NOODLES

Jessen Adrianus Reynaldi and Erys Susanty

Noodle is a staple food in Asia. It is therefore not

surprising that of all possible representations, noodles

seem to be the finest example.

After all, Southeast Asian and Korean cultures are like

noodles: cut and folded into other shapes and boiled

or fried with a variety of seasonings to suit one's

personal taste. Isn't this an apt description of how

complex yet adaptable our cultures are?

26

PETALS

Christophorus Ivan Darmasaputra and Ferdinand Kenji

Dwitama

What makes a rose a rose? The petals. The petals of a

rose produce different scents, colors, shapes and sizes.

The cultures of Southeast Asia and Korea are petals in

themselves. They emit scents of love and

compassion, radiate colors of diversity, and form

shapes and sizes of understanding and appreciation

28

SHIELD

Alexander Yusuf Yogie and Anastasia Juwono Surja

Why did we draw a shield to represent our cultures?

A shield safeguards, protects and secures oneself from

an attack. We believe that through education, our

cultures can be shielded from possible cultural

extinction. Learning cultures that span the region

makes it possible for our cultures to thrive and

endure for the next generations.

Shield varies in size but they are durable enough.

What strengthens our cultures is the appreciation that

there is diversity. This appreciation can deflect

ideologies of intolerance and ethnocentrism.

30

SONGBIRD

Felicitas Jessica Wong and Nadia Wandaputri

Our cultures are songbirds: they sing songs pleasant

to the human ear; they perch on branches of trees;

and they are delicate.

For example, the fiestas in the Philippines are filled

with songs that have auditory appeal. The Visakha

Puja Day in Thailand is perched on the precepts of

Buddhism. The Upacara Pernikahan Adat Jawa in

Indonesia has rituals that are intricate.

In sum, songbirds signify our cultures in Southeast

Asia and Korea: charming, delicate and secured on

traditions that have lasted for generations.

32

SPROUTING FLOWER

Abraham Talent Bawadi Sibarani and Glenn Bonaventura

Wijaya

Festivals evolve over time. Ssireum, the popular form

of wrestling held during Dano Festival in South

Korea, has now accepted women wrestlers. About

1,500 years ago, it was dominated by male wrestlers.

Thingyan, the water festival in Myanmar, utilize

traditional instruments like drums, cymbals, oboes

and flutes, but nowadays, loud speakers blasting

modern pop songs are used.

Indeed, Southeast Asian and Korean festivals sprout

like flowers. They germinate in many forms as time

passes by. The evolution of festivals remains rooted

in their essence.

34

UMBRELLA

Alando Wijaya Tjoa and Hansen Ritchie

What is extraordinary in this umbrella is that its

stretchers are embossed with the national flags of

different countries in the Southeast Asian region. The

stretchers are wide enough to accommodate more

than one person seeking for some shade.

Understanding cultures have the same

accommodating effect. To truly accommodate

cultures in our lives, understanding is certainly

important.

The handle of the umbrella is obviously multicolored.

It represents the diverse features of Southeast Asian

cultures. This diversity becomes a unifying tool that

makes it possible for a person to hold high the

umbrella.

36

UNFINISHED PAINTING

Henry Febrian, Robby and Ryan Pratama Muljono

An unfinished painting is fascinating for a number of

reasons. First, it creates speculation as to what the

finished painting would have been like had it been

completed. Second, it influences and inspires other

people to work on their respective paintings.

This image is an unfinished painting about Southeast

Asian and Korean cultures. It is unfinished because we

see cultures as never-ending canvases. While

unfinished paintings have strong old traditions, they

have stories that endure throughout generations.

38

YIN YANG FLOWER

Ibrahim Keith Harold Ford and Ni Putu Andrea

Paramananda

In summary, the festivities with Southeast Asian and

Korean origins are like a yin yang. They embody

opposites: good and bad, water and fire, moon and

sun, death and life. We can see this in many festivals

such as the Aduan Sapi in Indonesia where the strong

are celebrated more than the weak, and the Maha

Dok Festival in Myanmar where deeds of merit are

emphasized more than the bad deeds.

The yin and yang is shaped like a flower. The balance

that the yin and yang portrays can blossom to a

greater knowledge and appreciation of various

cultures in the region.

40

CONTRIBUTORS

Stefania Valentina

Felicia

Andre Prasetyo Arifin

Sherine Amanda Feryanto

Hyacynthia Kesuma

Laudya Jenita

Christopher Dennis Budiaman

Ryan Soenardi

Andrew Harman

Tifano Sebastian Pandu Pratama

Bram Musuko Panjaitan

Nico Alexander

Nicole Fay

Viola Fladia

Brigitta Gloria

Ignacia Antoinette Kasim

Nathanael Bryant Be

Philipus Valentino

Eugenia Angesti Meganingtyas

Eunike Eileen Emeralda

Anila Dimarsa

Amanda Hertantu

Priscillia Tandavo

Antonius Andrew Hadinata

Jonathan Jordy

Jessen Adrianus Reynaldi

Erys Susanty

Christophorus Ivan Darmasaputra

Ferdinand Kenji Dwitama

Alexander Yusuf Yogie

Anastasia Juwono Surja

Felicitas Jessica Wong

Nadia Wandaputri

Abraham Talent Bawadi Sibarani

Glenn Bonaventura Wijaya

Alando Wijaya Tjoa

Hansen Ritchie

Henry Febrian, Robby

Ryan Pratama Muljono

Ibrahim Keith Harold Ford

Ni Putu Andrea Paramananda

DESIGNED BY

Alexandra Olivia