Fine Art Profile • Dialog Budaya

Menenun Cahaya di Balik Kanvas

Filosofi Mellya Kemala Winta: Memori Maestro Nasirun, Takdir, dan Seni Melawan Arus

Fine Art Profile • Cultural Dialogue

Weaving Light Beyond the Canvas

Mellya Kemala Winta on Serendipity, the Spirit of Maestro Nasirun, and Artistic Defiance

Di tengah riuhnya panggung seni rupa kontemporer, Mellya Kemala Winta—yang akrab disapa Meli Kepompong—memilih jalan sunyi yang berani: merajut keindahan tradisi Nusantara ke dalam kanvas multi-dimensi yang sarat akan perenungan spiritual dan filosofis.

Dikenal luas lewat palet warnanya yang lembut sekaligus bercahaya, Meli memandang setiap sapuan kuas bukan semata urusan estetika visual, melainkan sebuah percakapan batin. Saat mengenang kebersamaannya dalam satu pameran bersama almarhum Maestro Nasirun di Jakarta Design Center (JDC), Meli melihat cerminan kerendahhatian seorang seniman besar. Baginya, komitmen Nasirun terhadap akar budaya dan laku spiritual 'zakat budaya' menjadi pengingat bahwa seni yang bermartabat selalu berakar pada kearifan tanah air.

“Dalam hidup maupun di atas kanvas, tidak ada yang benar-benar salah. Ketika warna putih tak sengaja tersenggol warna hitam, ia tak perlu dihapus dengan panik; kita olah pelan-pelan hingga melahirkan harmoni baru. Kesalahan selalu menyimpan hikmah jika kita mengalir seperti air.”

Tujuh Cermin Watak dan Ratu yang Menenun

Eksplorasi artistik Meli tercermin nyata dalam karyanya, Ratu Merah Melukis Tujuh Cahaya. Karya ini bukan lukisan biasa; ia memadukan tenunan benang emas, jahitan kulit sapi asli, hingga instalasi tujuh cermin akrilik yang merefleksikan spektrum jiwa manusia: amarah, cinta, pemberontakan, kepemimpinan, bahagia, dan luka. Pemilihan material akrilik yang aman dan berdaya tahan tinggi membuktikan visinya tentang karya yang abadi dan nyaman dinikmati lintas generasi. Mulai dari sosok ratu hingga figur astronaut yang sedang menenun, motif tenun bagi Meli adalah perlambang ikhtiar manusia yang tekun merajut waktu demi menghadirkan kebaikan bagi sesama.

Menemukan Kemerdekaan Berkarya

Pernah dinobatkan sebagai Juara 1 Nasional Desain Motif Batik se-Indonesia pada tahun 2007, Meli sempat menepi demi mengasuh buah hatinya hingga beranjak dewasa. Kini, ia kembali dengan kebebasan penuh. Dari mendobrak kanvas dengan menyandingkan misteri UFO bersama kuntum bunga yang lembut hingga bereksperimen dengan kilau resin, Meli membuktikan bahwa karya sejati harus memiliki 'greget' batin. Kemerdekaan baginya sederhana: hidup dengan penuh kenyamanan, kedamaian hati, dan rasa syukur yang tak pernah putus.

Amid the fast-paced currents of contemporary art, senior painter Mellya Kemala Winta—affectionately known as Meli Kepompong—walks a path of graceful defiance, weaving the soul of Indonesian heritage into rich, multidimensional canvases alive with spiritual reflection.

Celebrated for her signature cocoon motifs and luminous, pastel-infused palette, Mellya approaches painting not merely as an act of visual expression, but as a quiet, sacred dialogue. Reflecting warmly on exhibiting alongside the late Indonesian maestro Nasirun at the Jakarta Design Center (JDC), she speaks of his profound humility and cultural grounding. Nasirun’s practice of 'cultural tithe' (zakat budaya) and unpretentious devotion to tradition deeply resonated with her own belief that authentic Indonesian art must carry the warmth and roots of its homeland.

“There are no true mistakes on the canvas or in life. When black bleeds into white, you do not panic or erase it; you gently guide it until it transforms into something evocative. Every slip is serendipitous—a hidden blessing waiting to unfold if you simply move like water.”

Seven Mirrors of the Soul: The Weaving Queen

Mellya’s boundary-pushing spirit comes alive in pieces like The Red Queen Painting Seven Lights. Merging hand-stitched cowhide, woven gold threads, radiant resin, and seven acrylic mirrors, the artwork invites viewers to confront their own inner landscape: love, wrath, rebellion, leadership, joy, and sorrow. By replacing fragile glass with thoughtfully stitched acrylic, she ensures safety while crafting an heirloom meant to endure across generations. Whether depicting an ancient queen or a modern astronaut at the loom, weaving in her visual language symbolizes the enduring human endeavor to weave time itself with purpose and grace.

A Triumphant Return and True Creative Freedom

After clinching First Place in Indonesia’s National Batik Motif Design Award in 2007, Mellya chose to pause commercial momentum to dedicate herself to raising her family. Today, with her children grown, she returns to the studio with renewed vigor and uncompromising vision. Boldly juxtaposing gentle blossoms against sci-fi UFO silhouettes, she crafts pieces that possess unmistakable vitality and heart. For Mellya, artistic freedom is neither noise nor rebellion; it is the serenity of living authentically, embracing the unexpected, and holding deep gratitude for every brushstroke of existence.

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