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 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 Ruang Seltan, an alternative space in Jakarta 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 

SUPERIA: Suara Perempuan Indonesia/Voices of Indonesian Women countered deep and complex social stereotypes surrounding gender-based violence among Indonesian women. A short film was created by seven women, including Kartika herself, focusing their experiences and dismantling harmful stereotypes. A launch event for the film brought together diverse communities and sparked discussions around gender-based violence.

 

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 participated 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 dialogues with each other. Inspirational people from vibrant backgrounds and many different cultures coming together to share their remarkable works, their impacts, and their struggles was 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