Suwung Pamrih, Tebih Ajrih

‘Suwung Pamrih, Tebih Ajrih’
(if there is no selfishness, there is also no fear) 

A woman is beautiful because of her strong soul. Adorned with embroidered calligraphy, THE STENOGRAPH SERIES is our collector's edition which reflects Javanese philosophy. We created this hand-pulled serigraph in a limited run, through sustainable and ethical practices in Indonesia. Every artwork is signed and numbered, with a certificate of authenticity. The first edition of our STENOGRAPH bag features artwork 'Suwung Pamrih, Tebih Ajrih', opus no. 1910.

'Suwung Pamrih, Tebih Ajrih' means that if there is no selfishness, there is also no fear. A person with a virtuous heart will face all challenges and help others with this spirit. Never stirred by difficult conditions, his/her actions flow on acceptance, wisdom, and fairness. This life philosophy is a teaching of Raden Mas Panji Sosrokartono, the brother of R. A. Kartini. As a Javanese scholar and a polyglot fluent in 27 foreign languages and ten dialects of the East Indies archipelago, he was instrumental in several important historical events through his professions as a journalist in World War I, the chief translator in the League of Nations, and a spiritual healer. ‘Memoir’ by Muhammad Hatta noted that R. M. P. Sosrokartono, who mastered the isolated language of Basque, served as a translator of the Allied forces when passing through Basque region on a secret mission to hold a truce in Compiègne Forest, Southern France. Signed in secrecy inside a private railway carriage, this armistice of 11 November 1918 ended World War I. The first news covering the armistice was written by him under the pseudonym ‘three stars’ and published through The New York Herald Tribune. He was an elegant portrait of extraordinary wit and unswerving kindness.

The design inspiration of this bag came from stenography, a short-hand writing technique in journalism before the invention of a voice recording device. It uses special symbols that shorten words or sentences to write swiftly and maintain confidentiality. We hope that TULISAN artwork serves as memorabilia on the cultural heritage of Indonesia.

Matur Nuwun,

Melissa Sunjaya
{ Founding Artist }

It took us six months to accomplish this project.

Tulisan Stenograph Bag will be released on:

Saturday, 27 June 2020
At Tulisan Boutiques
Darmawangsa Square & Plaza Senayan
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0815 1051 7424
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