Wayang art is the oldest performing art in Indonesia, especially in Java. Wayang is a form of entertainment in Javanese culture which is also commonly used as a medium to provide information to the public. One of them is wayang suluh, which is used as a medium for conveying information to increase public insight and knowledge about the spirit of nationalism. Wayang suluh was first performed on March 10, 1947 in Madiun, East Java.
At first, wayang suluh was used as an information medium to foster a sense of nationalism during the struggle era. Thus, wayang suluh is named as wayang merdeka or independent at first. This puppet was first coined and made by R.M Sutarto Harjowahono who came from the Surakarta area. At that time, wayang suluh was considered capable of channeling insights in an effort to increase a sense of nationalism and national spirit.
Wayang suluh have their own uniqueness when compared to other wayang puppets in Indonesia. Seeing from the figures and characters, wayang suluh takes a form resembling a real person which is a representation of the human figure. In addition, wayang suluh are also made using leather or hide and the characters resemble everyday life. The word suluh itself means ‘a glimmer of light’ which provides an explanation as a light in a dark heart.
The depiction of wayang suluh characters that reflect the human form in everyday life also makes wayang suluh stories more flexible compared to other wayang stories. Means that although originally wayang suluh was used to foster a sense of nationalism regarding the importance of national unity and unity, wayang suluh can also be used to tell about social and community life in accordance with the times.
Author: David Aria Wijaya
