Provenance

Citra Sasmita and Hieronymus Bosch: Reimagining Mythology and the Human Condition

Citra Sasmita’s intricate, fantastical compositions invite comparisons with the visionary worlds of 15th-century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Like Bosch, whose paintings teem with hybrid creatures, surreal landscapes and symbolic narratives exploring morality, spirituality and the human condition, Sasmita constructs richly layered worlds where mythology and imagination intertwine.

While Bosch drew upon Christian theology and medieval European anxieties surrounding sin, temptation and salvation, Sasmita turns to Balinese Hindu cosmology, Tantric symbolism and ancient manuscripts to explore feminine power, transformation and resistance. Reinterpreting the traditional Kamasan painting language, she replaces male-dominated mythological narratives with powerful female protagonists, challenging patriarchal histories and colonial legacies.

Both artists employ extraordinary visual storytelling, inviting viewers to decipher worlds filled with allegory and symbolism. Yet where Bosch often envisions humanity's moral struggles and divine judgement, Sasmita imagines alternative histories in which women reclaim their agency, bodies and spiritual authority.