Timur Merah Project XII: Light Speed and Revelation (2024) is a commissioned installation composed of reticulated python snakeskin, neon lamps, and paintings on traditional Kamasan canvas. It addresses the encounter and coexistence of Balinese mythology and spirituality along with Western ideas of technological advancement. For the artist, myths, as a reflection of reality, still guide humans to the true light of knowledge and have the same social relevance as the instruments used by modern science. The piece is part of Timur Merah (2019–ongoing), translated as “The East is red” in English, a long-term project that seeks to trace and reinterpret the historical narratives of Indonesia and Bali.

Citra Sasmita’s work is informed by her involvement in theatre and her family’s cultural background, which includes performing artists who move from village to village in Indonesia enacting Hindu ritual ceremonies. Since the beginning of her career, Citra has been interested in revisiting traditional Asian languages—such as Kamasan-style painting developed in the fifteenth century, the first paintings in Bali—to reframe traditional stories and critique the vivid legacies of patriarchy and colonialism.

Commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art and made possible with the generous support of the Women Leading Initiative.