Yeo Workshop is pleased to present Women Who Carry the Mountain by Citra Sasmita, a body of work that explores the resilience of women as custodians of balance between humanity and nature. Rooted in the ancient Balinese creation myth of Bedawang Nala—the colossal turtle entwined with three dragons representing the earth, sea, and wind—Sasmita’s works reinterpret these sacred elements that represent the world’s equilibrium through a contemporary feminist lens. Their harmony ensures the earth’s stability, while their disturbance brings forth earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Through this mythology, Sasmita reflects on Bali—an island situated within the volatile ‘Ring of Fire’ - and the community’s abiding practices of coexistence with nature’s unpredictability. Rituals, storytelling and collective knowledge become acts of both reverence and survival, within which women emerge as crucial mediators and guardians. Central to rituals and ceremonies that worship the figure of Earth-Mother, a symbol of abundance and goodness, are Balinese women who serve as bearers of ancient wisdom and tradition in upholding the balance between humanity and nature. Through painting, installation and textile works, Sasmita evokes this intricate and divine web of feminine energy, spirituality and cosmic forces that sustain the balance of life.
