Arti Lambang dan Fungsi Tatarias Pengantin Dalam Menanamkan Nilai Budaya Propinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta — Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (1986)

HYAS: Makeup Through The Ages is the first-ever exhibition about the history of makeup in Indonesia, exploring the relationship between beauty, fashion, and culture.

Viewers of this exhibition will discover various forms of makeup from different periods. In the process, they will learn how different influences and perspectives have shaped the evolution of makeup.
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The titular word is Old Javanese, which evolved from Proto-Western Malayo-Polynesian ‘qias’, meaning ‘jewellery’. It is also the root word for ‘rias’, meaning ‘makeup’, and ‘paes’, a style of traditional wedding makeup applied on the forehead.

This evolution of words suggests the holistic approach of beauty in the past, connecting jewellery, clothing, hair, and makeup as a unified field of knowledge.

Planned Dates and Official Venue Partner

September 4-11,
2026

SPAC8 at ASHTA District 8, Jakarta

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Majalah Dian (No. 3/IX)

A Journey Through Time
Think of ‘Hyas: Makeup Through The Ages’ as a working dossier intending to solve mysteries. The exhibition shares findings about makeup from various historical periods through the mediums of its time, complete with artefacts, makeup, clothing, jewellery, photographs, newspapers, books, and printed ephemera.

The exhibition is segmented into three parts:
THE ANCIENT (PRE-1600)
THE COLONIAL (1600-1945)
THE RECENT (1945-1990s)

Dewi Sri, courtesy of Lichtbeelden Instituut Amsterdam, taken from
Wanita di Indonesia, Rangkajo Ch. Sj. Datoe Toemenggoeng (1953)

1
THE ANCIENT

This room dives into the origins of makeup in Indonesia through indigenous knowledge, ancient texts and cultural artefacts, showing the precursors of the makeup we commonly use today. By looking at such objects, viewers will learn of the evolution of makeup, as was used by royalty of ancient times.

Studioportret van een zittende jonge Javaanse man en vrouw dragend een batik sarong, Cephas Kassian (ca. 1870 - ca. 1912)

2
THE COLONIAL
This section deconstructs how beauty became racialised in the Dutch East Indies, as written in Seeing Beauty, Sensing Race (2013) by L. Ayu Sarawati. The introduction of imported makeup, fabricated legal frameworks, and power dynamics of photography from that time continue to shape how we see and create beauty today.

Majalah SURI (December 1981)

3
THE RECENT
The last part of the exhibition looks at how makeup and beauty were utilised to form modern identity in a newly independent Indonesia. By observing various print media, we discover how the local beauty industry came to be, and how specific narratives and ideals of beauty became etched in our minds.

© HYAS EXHIBITION