Kartika Jahja is a transdisciplinary artist and activist. After studying at the Art Institute of Seattle, she returned to Indonesia and formed the band Tika & The Dissidents, which received acclaim from the music community as well as the media. TEMPO Magazine called group, “Chosen art figures.” Rolling Stone Indonesia Magazine listed Kartika with 30 Women Who Rock and 20 Best Albums 2016.

In 2015, Kartika established the Bersama Project Foundation with a mission to advocate for gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence through creative interventions. Her various works and initiatives won awards from TEMPO Magazine which named her, Women Breaking Boundaries 2016, and International Media BBC included her in the BBC 100 Women 2016 - a list of the 100 most influential and inspiring women in the world.

Kartika established an alternative space in Jakarta called Ruang Seltan for creative expression, intersectional dialogue and collective empowerment. Ruang Seltan is a response to rampant intolerance and persecution targeting vulnerable groups and threatening freedom of expression.

In March 2022, Kartika officially joined Institut Ungu as vice chairwoman. Institut Ungu is a space for production, exploration, and education of arts and culture for human rights and gender justice. Kartika is also the vice chairwoman for Indonesian Arts Coalition (Koalisi Seni), an organization that advocates public policies for artistic freedom in Indonesia. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: SUPERIA 

While 1 in 3 women in the world experience violence, public awareness of gender-based violence among Indonesian women remains low. Many who have been subjected to exploitation and abuse are unaware that they have experienced gender-based violence. One of the contributing factors is the deep and complex social stereotypes subjected upon Indonesian women. In addressing these problems Kartika developed a creative campaign titled SUPERIA: Suara Perempuan Indonesia / Voices of Indonesian Women.

SUPERIA’s objective was to counter social stereotypes surrounding women through artistic storytelling. This was accomplished by creating a short film performed and co-written by 7 women, including Kartika herself, from diverse and intersectional backgrounds, professions, ages, ethnicities, faiths and sexualities. Each woman shared their stories, experiences, and perspectives. These messages were presented through monologues, choreography, music and visual art. This film presents the multidimensionality of Indonesian women which helps dismantle harmful stereotypes. The soft launch even was attended by transgender single mothers, cancer survivors, and people with disabilities (mental and physical). There were also attendees from the arts, film, and theatre community in Jakarta. This wide range of people at SUPERIA's launch event indicates that the goal of bringing diverse communities together to spark discussion was achieved. 

Film: SUPERIA (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) 

SUPERIA (INDONESIAN SUBTITLES) 

"Such a down-to-earth short film. Successfully presenting the diversity of women's identities and experiences as they are..." - SUPERIA Viewer

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Kartika was a participant in the IVLP Project: A Global Moment in Time: Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

Kartika's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "Being part of IVLP is like experiencing all the books and news I read, all the stories and culture I learn through films, music, and literature, all come to life and have dialogs with myself and each other. Inspirational people from vibrant backgrounds and many different cultures, come together to share their remarkable works, their impacts, and also their struggles have been an especially powerful experience."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Cleveland, OH; Portland, OR

Country: Indonesia