We recently connected with Yati Kaprawi and have shared our conversation below.

Yati, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Yes, it would be great if I had professional training in visual art, went to film school or animation school. However, my path was that I graduated in Engineering and I worked as an Engineer for about 15 years. My interest in women’s issues led me to be involved in activism work on gender equality and Muslim women’s rights in Malaysia. Initially, I volunteered in events organised by the women’s groups but later I decided to work full time in a Muslim women’s group that promote gender equality and the rights of women.

My creative journey started in my mid 30s, with the traditional Malaysian art called ‘Batik’. On my way back from a work trip, I stopped by at a small batik workplace and was introduced to the batik process. Later, on my free weekends, I learnt more of the technique from a batik fashion designer, Azizi Muhammad, in Kuala Lumpur. However, batik making requires a lengthy process and a conducive work place because it involves hot wax, boiling and washing the fabric. Hence, later I explored acrylic painting and applied the batik approach on my paintings on canvas because it allows me flexible time and place in making art. But I plan to make Batik art again in future because I love the process and the batik effect.

My activism work involved awareness raising campaigns such as engaging with women and people from various background, through workshops and other events. Apart from the personal interaction approach, I decided to further raise awareness through audiovisual because it is a popular medium and can be screened as well as be uploaded online, to reach out to new and wider audiences.

I was fortunate to be able to participate in workshops on documentary film works on social justice issues. From there, I made documentary films on women issues in Malaysia. Later on, I decided to combine my skills in visual art and in film editing, to produce short animations.

Since I never went to an art school, film or animation school, I learnt primarily from fellow artists and friends, by attending art, film and animation workshops and events as well as from YouTube and social media.

Perhaps by not being professionally trained in a particular art form allow me to be more flexible in exploring different media in conveying my thoughts, stories and issues I wish to highlight. Each medium has its own strengths and challenges. We the artists can apply which media best suited to convey our stories and that is suitable to our particular contexts, with the resources we have. For example, in highlighting complex women’s issues or cases, I choose to discuss it through documentary films, while in raising awareness on women’s rights such as legal literacy for women, through short animations.

With my practical experience of making visual art, documentary films and animations on women’s rights issues, I was did my Master in Media and Culture in Germany. So, over the years, my creative ventures keep on evolving and life often leads us to unexpected paths. So I say, just do what we love to do, with whatever resources we have, and our work will bring us to new adventures.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been making art for about 25 years now. I enjoy exploring new media because I am fascinated with the different techniques and effects of each art medium, such as batik on silk and cotton cloth, painting on canvas or block printing on paper or on fabric.

Apart from visual art, I also made documentary films and animations – digital, hand drawn and stop motion animation. I love making art and to keep on learning.

Some of my artworks are for my own enjoyment and some are meant to highlight women’s issues, particularly Muslim women issues.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a female feminist artist who lives in a predominantly Muslim society, I try to offer my own lens and perspective through my creative work. Apart from trying to raise more awareness about gender equality and women’s rights, particularly for Muslim women, I also hope that my participation as an artist, documentary filmmaker and animator helps to motivate other women to participate as well. More women should share their stories and perspectives. Women should also realise that it is still possible to make art, film or animation and contribute even without professional academic training.

There is indeed a great need for more female participation and voice in the art world because throughout history, many women’s experiences, perspectives and contributions have been marginalised or supressed. Telling stories itself is an empowering experience; that as female artists, our work and opinion matter. In the context of Muslim society where conservative religious laws are being used to control women’s bodies, movement and lives, it is important that women share their own lived experiences and perspectives. Those in power will then be made to understand and to respond to women’s lived realities, to respect women and their rights.

When women participate in producing media content, means we take agency to shape the discourse on women and don’t let our lives, our stories, not predominantly told from the male perspective or by those in power. Women should not pushed and let themself be pushed to the margins and therefore being made invisible. Female perspectives need to be nurtured and empowered. Not only women’s stories and history need to be highlighted in the written form, but it should also be presented by women in all kinds of media and art.

My exploration into animation for example, began when I wanted to find some info on Muslim women’s issues and I realised that there is a great need for more online content that promote women’s rights and gender equality in the Muslim context.

Currently I am exploring block printing art such as woodcut, linocut and etching to highlight female historical figures who fought for Malaysian independence. I collaborate with Dr Rusaslina Idrus, an academician who initiated ‘Pusat Sejarah Wanita’ (Women History Centre). It is important that women’s contribution and sacrifices be highlighted, not only in history books, but also through art and in the art scene. So I hope to raise awareness amongst new audiences, whom otherwise may not have been exposed to women’s history in Malaysia.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

It is good to be open to new ideas, knowledge, and challenges. For me, technical skills can be learned. Apart from the technical know-how, our life experience is also an integral part of our creative work. So, in my case, my background as an Engineer and women’s rights activist enriches my art, influence my creative approach and process.

The diverse background of people who make art enriches the art scene and enriches the diversity in society because all art creators have their own unique experience and perspectives and can add their own voice to the chorus. I would thus like to encourage women to make art, starting with whatever existing resources they have. Every creative work has something to offer, has its own charm, its own uniqueness and its own audience. As artists, we create art because that’s what we love to do and because we have our own idea to share and stories to tell.

The arts scene in general can be very competitive and sometimes artists receive harsh criticism. female artist who didn’t have professional academic training particularly, have to be prepared to be criticised – not only because of the quality of their art but sometimes their art is devalued because they are female. Definitely we can learn from critics but it should not pull us down or demotivate us. At the end of the day, we do what we want, we learn what we can, do what we enjoy, what matters to us, and hope that our work can enrich our and other people’s lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yatikaprawi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yatikaprawi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yatikaprawi7807