She was only ten when she experienced one of the most tragic cataclysm that humanity will ever remember: the terrible tsunami which mostly devastated Indonesia on 26th December 2004, causing hundreds and thousands of victims.
Of those victims a third were children.
Karina Reka is a little girl from Aceh, surely the most struck place by the monstrous wave. She has captured in a drawing that terrible moment representing a gigantic “breaker” which advances deleting everything it encounters along its way. The picture is in vivid colors, typical of the Indonesian decorative tradition.
This drawing has been seen all around the world, hearth of an exhibition bringing together a message of both pain and hope. The message has been launched by young people inspired by such a catastrophic event, an incurable wound in their lives.
Among the European cities also Rome hosted, last 14th February, the exhibition in the House of Cinema in Villa Borghese. It was right in that occasion where Karina’s drawing impressed the Chevalier of Labor Elio Matacena, President of Ponte di Archimede International S.p.A.. The fact that the young artist has been able to fix on paper her deepest emotions, induced Mr. Matacena in donating her a 10 thousand Euro scholarship in order to allow the very young painter to initiate artistic studies.
The Indonesian Ambassador in Italy, H.E. Susanto Sutoyo, wanted to celebrate with solemnity the official delivery of the scholarship offered by the Chevalier of Labour Elio Matacena, with a ceremony. The ceremony took place in the Indonesian Embassy in Rome, during which a short documentary was screened, produced by “Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Executing Agency for Aceh and Nias”. In the documentary Karina was filmed in her daily routine, a sad life marked by the loss of many members of the family, tsunami victims.
The ceremony has been attended by the UNIDO IPTO Italy Director, Diana Battaggia; Michele Grisanti from UNICEF; members of the "Italo-Indonesian Association of Friendship and Cooperation", together with Indonesian teachers and students and members of the Indonesian community in Rome.
|
