Soeharto (Suharto is crazy! Old man! Alcoholic. Thief)

This image was drawn by children who played in an abandoned building close to an unused doorway down a side street in Kaikoli, a suburb of Dili. The drawing was made in 2004 but was removed a year later. The inclusion of the year 1998, as opposed to the year the drawing was made, refers to the year Suharto relinquished power.

Rekonsiliasi

Different parties claim ownership of this piece which is at the back of the old community centre and basketball court in Los Palos, a town in the east of the country. A small gang of children argue they made it, as do the so-called ‘Galaxy Boys,’ a group of established artists and musicians originating from Los Palos. The image captures the multiplicity of sentiments about reconciliation. For some, dancing with the devil is a necessary part of moving their lives forward after independence.     ii

Chris Parkinson (chrs.prknsn@gmail.com) is a photographer and communications consultant who lived and worked in East Timor for four years. He currently lives in Melbourne and is working on a book on the graffiti of East Timor.

All photos in this essay are by Chris Parkinson