Semsar Siahaan's depiction of the MANUBILIS (a term he coined to mean “manusia-binatang-iblis” or human-animal-demon) in many of his works also highlights the decline or loss of humanity within contemporary Indonesian society. He wrote in his 1988 manifesto: “MANUBILIS depicts three attributes which form one unity. Humanity as its body. Animal as its desires. And demon as its deceit and corruption.” One such portrayal of the MANUBILIS could be seen in his painting Timur Rumit (The Complication of East Timor) (1987-1990). A man is seen crawling on all fours, perspiring and struggling to bear the weight of a plump man, who is likely to be a government official, on his back. Another man, who is dressed in Javanese attire, stands before them. Here, it is also possible that the artist sought to undermine and unpack the use of ethnic motifs in the production of a national identity and ideology as he reflects on Indonesia’s annexation of East Timor. The mirror in this painting reflects the word “Timur” (East) into “Rumit” (complicated).
