“We grew up learning about male heroism. In traditional texts, female characters appear only as objects of conquest and sexuality... I’m creating counter-narratives by placing female characters as the protagonists in mythological stories.” - Citra Sasmita

Citra Sasmita adopts the Indonesian Kamasan painting technique, dating from the fifteenth century and traditionally practiced exclusively by men, to reimagine and reinvent epics of war and romance as a reclamation of female agency. Phantasmagoria (2024) alongside five smaller paintings form fragments of her poetry book ‘Book of Fire’. They are centred around the Balinese mythology of cosmic war,The Legend of Barong and Rangda, which describes the dramatic battles between good and evil amidst the creation of a new universe.Barong, a fantastical lion-like creature, is the embodiment of good and protection; while Rangda, an incarnation of the witch Calon Arang that wreaked havoc in ancient Java, represents the master of dark arts with sinister intentions.

This captivating tale is brought to life and continues to be passed down generations through the Barong dance, often performed at the temple as part of Balinese Hindu rituals to cast away bad energy and call upon celestial powers for guardianship. Performers would wear Barong and Rangda masks, of which authentic ones safeguarded in village temples contain holy inscriptions and are revered as patron spirits. Sasmita animates this sacred ritual and performance in her work, adorning Phantasmagoria with the same hair used to make the masks for Barong—imbuing it with equivalent spiritual fervour while venerating the rich cultural heritage of Bali.Another key element in Balinese rituals is fire, a symbol of purification. Sasmita’s fiery figures are thus manifestations of healing, renewal and harmony, urging towards an empowered mythology for women as a new world order in contemporary Bali. As she navigates the narrative of eternal struggle between positive and negative forces with her familiar visual iconography, these works also reflect on the omnipresence of these opposing energies and their eventual significance of balance in Balinese belief.