Yati Kaprawi carves out her own meaning of Merdeka

Norhayati Kaprawi, also known as Yati Kaprawi, is a 60-year-old multidisciplinary artist and women's rights activist who has carved out her own interpretation of Malaysia's independence day, Merdeka. Unlike traditional celebrations centered around flags and historical anniversaries, Yati believes independence extends beyond national symbols and historical markers. For her, it encompasses personal freedoms that shape everyday life, particularly for women.

At the recent Puan-Tastic Festival in Bukit Bintang, Yati presented 15 printmaking works as part of her exploration of Merdeka. Her pieces delve into the dual meaning of independence: the freedom of a nation and personal liberties that impact daily lives. Notably, half of her artworks feature prominent Malaysian women, drawn from research by Rusaslina Idrus, a co-founder of Sejarah Wanita, a digital project dedicated to documenting and preserving the stories of women often overlooked in mainstream Malaysian history.

Creating her 15-piece series, Yati faced the challenge of condensing rich personal histories into a single image, while also ensuring her visuals would be engaging for viewers. She chose block printing for this project due to its hands-on nature and ability to visually represent the lives of the women she chose to highlight. Yati's approach aims to make history feel more tangible, especially for younger audiences who may only encounter key figures through textbooks or brief online mentions.

Yati hopes her exhibition will encourage visitors to reconsider the contributions of women in Malaysia's history and recognize the diverse forms of sacrifice and achievement behind the country's independence. By engaging with history, Yati also emphasizes the importance of questioning information in the digital age, urging people to examine multiple perspectives rather than accepting potentially misleading content at face value.

The pricing of her artworks ranged from RM1,000, with proceeds going to the SIS Forum (Malaysia) fund. However, her aim extends beyond financial support. Through her exhibition, Yati invites viewers to think about independence not just as a historical event in 1957, but as an ongoing concept shaped by personal autonomy and the act of creativity, such as carving an image by hand.