Artist Yati Kaprawi explores the many faces of independence

Independence signifies different meanings for different people, transcending the mere concept of a nation's freedom. For multifaceted artist Norhayati Kaprawi, 60, popularly known as Yati Kaprawi, this notion is portrayed through 15 artworks exhibited at the Puan-Tastic Festival on August 14 and 15, coinciding with National Month at the GMBB Creative Community Mall in Bukit Bintang.

As a women's rights advocate, Yati perceives independence from two primary viewpoints – nation's freedom and personal liberty for women to exist unhindered and unharassed, with adequate time and space for themselves. She highlighted to Bernama, "For women, we often shoulder a double burden, working not only in offices but also at home."

Hence, women require personal freedom and should feel secure in public areas, unafraid of harassment or disturbance. Reflecting her artistic process, Yati, born in Batu Pahat, Johor, also creates documentary films and animations. Notably, half of her creations depict significant women, inspired by Dr Rusaslina Idrus' 'Sejarah Wanita' digital project, which strives to document and celebrate the narratives of underrepresented women in Malaysia's historical records.

Yati admitted her biggest challenge lay not just in creating the images but selecting a moment or element that encapsulated a person's life journey, given the richness of their histories. She chose printmaking, specifically block printing, for her medium as she aimed to encourage more women artists to remain active in the field.

Yati believes art exhibitions can function as a tool for public education, especially for younger generations less acquainted with the women who contributed significantly to the nation's history. She also aspired that these exhibitions would inspire young individuals to engage with history, acknowledging that Malaysia's independence was attained through sacrifices.

Yati emphasized the importance of understanding the sacrifices of past generations to cultivate a deeper appreciation for women's contributions to Malaysia's formation and societal harmony. She also cautioned that in the era of rapid information spread facilitated by technology, individuals should critically analyze information from various angles and resist succumbing to fake news or inflammatory content.

Each artwork showcased at the Puan-Tastic Festival was priced at RM1,000 and above, with proceeds from the two-day exhibition directed towards the SIS Forum (Malaysia) fund.