Indonesia’s minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, is easily one of the country’s most popular political leaders. Beloved by nationalists for defending Indonesian waters by blowing up illegal fish poaching vessels as well as environmentalists such as Leonardo DiCaprio for her work on developing sustainable fishing practices, Susi’s image as a strong independent woman and fearless leader has led her to become something of a pop culture icon.
Justifiably, some people even think of her as a superhero.
https://twitter.com/Aryprasetyo85/status/910882150416650245
Last month, this mural of Susi as Wonder Woman recently went up on a wall on Jalan Slamet Riyadi in the city of Solo (we assume Captain Jack Sparrow is there to represent the fishing pirates that Susi has been battling).
Susi Pudjiastuti mengunjungi Broto, seniman mural di Solo yang menggambar wajahnya dengan kostum Wonder Woman (📷 Kompascom/M Wismabrata) pic.twitter.com/2Sp0k1s9mQ
— Radio Sonora Jakarta (@SonoraFM92) September 20, 2017
Pictures of the painting quickly went viral on social media and reached Susi herself, who was so impressed with the image of herself as the iconic DC Comics superhero that she took the time to meet with the mural’s artist on Wednesday after attending another event in the city.
“Wonder Susi”, Wonder Woman dari Indonesia https://t.co/4L7KW1kUZx
— Susi Pudjiastuti (@susipudjiastuti) September 21, 2017
The young painter, Eko Adiwijoyo aka Broto, produced the 4×3 meter mural at the request of Sardono W. Kusumo, the former head of the Jakarta Arts Council who invited numerous artists in Solo to produce street art featuring national figures in celebration of Indonesian Independence Day including founding father Soekarno and Indonesia’s first vice president Mohammad Hatta.
“When asked by Professor Sardono to paint Ibu Susi, I was pleased. Ibu Susi is a figure that inspires love for Indonesia,” Broto said on Wednesday as quoted by Kompas.
Upon meeting Broto, Susi said she loved his painting and thanked him as well as all the other artists that contributed to the new Solo murals.
“I came here deliberately to express my appreciation for the imagination of these artists and all the efforts they put into these extraordinary paintings,” Susi told reporters.
Susi is such a pop culture icon that this is not even the first time Susi has appeared as a comic book character (she also appeared in the legendary Japanese manga Golgo 13).
(1) Menteri Susi dalam komik Jepang pic.twitter.com/rwevPDAl5C
— Taka (Oi Jepang) (@IwanPalsu) April 13, 2017
Nor is it the first time she’s appeared in a badass fantasy painting.
Susi Pudjiastuti foto brg pelukis Heri Budiono n Romo Sindunata. Lukisan dipamerkan di Bentara budaya jkt. pic.twitter.com/23g8Za5gXh
— Rustika Herlambang (@tika_herlambang) December 13, 2014
Susi, who had never held political office before her current position, was tapped by President Joko Widodo as part of his original cabinet (and she one of the few from that original cabinet still in office). A truly self-made woman, she was previously most famous for starting a fishing business, buying a plane to help grow that business, and eventually turning that one plane into a whole airline – her eponymous Susi Air.
This is just further proof of what we’ve said before – that Susi is the coolest minister in ASEAN – but if you need more evidence, check out the rest of her rock star resume.
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