Celine Hartono Nurwinata

Sriningsih Junaedi Priwati the Siluman is a manifestation of inherited beliefs and internalized fears, deeply rooted in Indonesian mythology and folklore. Inspired by the lyrics of Tafsir Mistik by The Panturas, the project explores the concept of unseen forces that are not easily exorcised demons that linger in liminal spaces between birth and death, threading through consciousness as cultural constructs. This mirrors Tan Malaka’s Mistika Logika in Madilog, where mysticism and logic intertwine, reflecting the Indonesian psyche’s comfort with the supernatural as both a method of control and an embrace of chaos.

Junaedi is not simply a mythological creature, it is a vessel of emotional and psychological weight, shaped by generational fears and desires. Its form is a physical manifestation of what haunts the collective mind, a creature that embodies superstition, the justification of flaws, and the need for comfort in the surreal. My exploration seeks to challenge the perception of “evil,” blurring the lines between the protective and the feared, the real and the imagined. Through textiles, sculpture, and storytelling, Junaedi comes alive as a haunting yet familiar presence, a siluman that is as much part of us as it is apart from us.