In the contemporary art world, Citra Sasmita, a Bali-born and based artist, has emerged as a figure who dares to challenge and transform the landscape of traditional Balinese art. With a deep focus on the cultural history of the island of the gods, including the colonial experience, tropical exoticism, and the marginalization of Balinese art, Citra presents critique and transformation through her diverse works, ranging from paintings to installations. She combines Javanese and Balinese cosmology with a feminist perspective, giving women a voice and presence in the narrative of art.
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One of Citra's most prominent works is the series “Red East” which has been developing since 2019. This series explores heteropatriarchal iconography in Kamasan scroll paintings, an art tradition that originated in the 15th century in the village of Kamasan, Bali. These paintings, which usually adorn family altars and temples, depict heroic and noble stories of male figures. Citra notes an imbalance in the representation of gender in these paintings, where women are often only depicted in relation to reproductive functions and sexuality, or as monstrous figures if they are depicted as strong.
“Timur Red” comes as Citra's attempt to correct this imbalance. In her scroll paintings, she presents black-haired female figures, both ordinary and mystical, both tangible and present as spirits, representing elements of nature, some burning in flames, others covered in blood. This work is a strong statement about the importance of a feminist perspective in Balinese art and culture.
“Red East” first presented at the Jogja Biennale in 2019 under the title “Timur Merah Project I:Embrace of My Motherland”. The work consists of five vertical scroll paintings, a floor installation of text written in turmeric, and spice bags made from discarded Kamasan textiles that Citra found in tourist art stalls. The work references the cosmological narratives of the archipelago and the royal genealogy of Java, featuring a group of female figures, some with electric yellow auras, others enveloped in flames.
Title “Red East”which literally means the East is red, has a deep symbolic meaning. Red symbolizes blood and fire, two important elements in Balinese cultural rituals. Blood represents sacrifice and respect for ancestors, while fire symbolizes purification. For Sasmita, “Red East” is a way to reconcile tradition with the contemporary, just as rituals are a performance of reconciliation with the past.
Since the Jogja Biennale, Citra's work has become increasingly recognized on the international stage. She has exhibited her work at various prestigious events, including the Thailand Biennale, the Biennale of Sydney, and the Diriyah Biennale. In 2017, Citra Sasmita also received the Gold Award at the UOB Painting of the Year. In January 2025, she will hold her first solo exhibition in the UK at The Curve gallery, Barbican Centre, London.
In the latest iteration “Red East” from the São Paulo Biennial, berjudul “Timur Merah Project IX: Beyond the Realm of the Senses” (2023), Sasmita adds sculptural elements to her hanging scrolls. The work is presented alongside a gold-plated replica of a statue found in the Kertha Gosa museum in Bali. The museum was built on the ruins of the Klungkung Royal Palace, where these Dutch statues are installed alongside sacred sculptural motifs from the Sacred Gate of the royal family temple.
The addition of these sculptural elements is Sasmita's commentary on the changing cultural landscape in Bali. He sees a parallel between the historical event where statues of Hindu gods were replaced by secular figures commissioned by the Dutch colonial government, and the current situation where the government wants to renovate old temples in Bali for tourism purposes.
Through its various iterations, “Red East”” has become a means for Sasmita to place herself – a traditional Balinese woman creating contemporary art – within a long tradition of feminist critique and renewal in art. She envisions the project as a tree that continues to grow, with roots in the form of a story about hell. Sasmita is committed to continuing to develop “Red East”delving deeper into the complexities of cultural heritage and seeing itself in a changing world.
Citra Sasmita is a bold and visionary artist, who through her work has succeeded in bridging the traditional and the contemporary, the local and the global, and the masculine and the feminine. “Red East” is a real testament to her dedication to exploring the potential of Balinese art and culture, as well as giving a voice to women in the art narrative that has so far been dominated by a patriarchal perspective.
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(Author: Matthew De Jano; Photo: Courtesy of the artist)