Taking traditional elements, myths and iconography from ancient Balinese culture and literature, Sasmita departs from convention and traces the marginalised narrative of women in Balinese society.
Citra Sasmita is a contemporary artist from Bali whose work focuses on unravelling the myths and misconceptions of Balinese art and culture. She is also deeply invested in questioning a woman’s place in the social hierarchy and seeks to upend the normative construct of gender.
Born in Bali, Indonesia on March 30, 1990, Citra Sasmita has never formally graduated from an art institution. She studied for a Literature diploma at Udayana University (2008), and at the Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences at Ganesha University of Education, majoring in Physics Education (2009). Her dream as an artist grew again when she joined the campus theatre group and became a short story illustrator in Bali Post. When she became an illustrator she deepened her self-taught world of art and actively participated in exhibitions in and outside of Bali.
One of her long term projects, Timur Merah Project; Harbor of Restless Spirits was presented in Garden of Six Seasons, Para Site Hong Kong — a painting on cow’s hide reflects the Kamasan Balinese painterly language that Citra has been developing in her practice. It represents a geography of female figures, fires, and various natural elements, composed whimsically in an unfolding of pansexual energy. While rooted in mythological thinking with specific Hindu and Balinese references, the scenes are equally part of the contemporary process of imagining a secular and empowered mythology for a post-patriarchal future.
Citra was a Gold Award Winner UOB Painting of The Year 2017. She was included in Biennale Yogyakarta 2019 and her solo show titled Ode To The Sun was held at Yeo Workshop, Gillman Barracks Singapore in 2020. She was also included in Garden Of Six Seasons, a notable exhibition presented by Para Site Hong Kong.