Following the state of enlightenment, a vessel is conceived by Sasmita to hold and protect such divine energy. Act Two consists of two temples, where a pair of giant creatures appear to be at meditative rest, enveloped in cascades of alternating black and white braids of hair. Here, Sasmita focuses on how to manifest transcendence within a space. Balance and harmony underlie every aspect of this section, from the doubling of the mythological creatures that serve as guardians of heaven and hell, to the black and white braids of hair symbolising yin and yang. An antique mask rests atop each ‘temple’, one representing masculine energy while the other feminine, as seen from the subtle differences in their features, the latter sporting gentler lines and curves. Similar to spiritual masks used in Balinese rituals and made from wood growing in cemeteries that are cut only on sacred days, they almost function as the Hipotalamus of the brain—the hormone that controls all bodily functions. Sasmita’s iconography continues to suffuse the space, this time on python skins that form the bodies of these celestial guardians, emphasising yet again the motif of the snake omnipresent in this exhibition. Serpents are often present in many mythologies, from the ‘ouroboros’ in Ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology to the ‘naga’ deities in Hindu and Buddhist legends, associated with the symbol of infinity and eternal renewal. In Balinese culture in particular, they also represent spiritual power and the balance between opposing forces, where the coiled snake or ‘Kudalini’ is said to harness primal energy at the base of its spine, waiting to be awakened and rise through the chakras towards spiritual enlightenment.