Ajita X4

‘Ajita’ is an ancient Javanese word meaning ‘The Unconquered’. Based on the book ‘Perempuan-perempuan Perkasa’ [The Invincible Women] by Peter Carey and Vincent Houben, the illustrated textile edition of Ajita by Melissa Sunjaya depicts the unyielding spirit of female resurgence through an assemblage of symbolic flowers. The female noble knights of Java who lived between the 18th and 19th centuries had a different notion of femininity from today, where society expects women to be submissive and objectifies them as the inferior gender. The stateliness of Javanese women’s intellectuality and power in ancient times will be erased from our collective memory if we fail to reframe this history. In the spirit of Ajita, the Javanese women of today will rise united to puncture this collective erasure and will never surrender in fighting for their rights.

Through artwork, Melissa has been shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2024. This international event highlights the best works from thousands of artists worldwide, with specific categories such as Product & Packaging Design.