Kamasan: An Ancient Living Tradition
Imagine you are a master Balinese painter, in addition to your King has recently commissioned you to do a piece of work. As you sit down in front of a large cloth stretched upon a wooden frame having a pencil in hand, for a moment you contemplate the composition before beginning to sketch. The year is actually 1723. What might go through your mind?
Possibly you hear the clash in addition to bang of metallic instruments of a Balinese ensemble. You visualize the cloth in front as a giant screen, with an audience seated on the opposite side. in addition to you imagine yourself as a dalang (master puppeteer) manipulating puppets while bringing to life a mighty Hindu epic during a wayang kulit shadow theatre play.
Origins
‘Dharmaswami’ Ida Bagus Gelgel, 1935, natural pigments on paper | Photo by David Irons
The roots of the wayang puppet theatre, one of the original story-telling methods within the Balinese culture, may be traced back over 2,000 years to Indian traders who settled in Nusa Antara (Indonesia prior to being known as the Dutch East Indies), bringing with them their culture in addition to Hindu religion. The wayang or classical style of Balinese painting is actually derived coming from the imagery of which appears in of which medium.
The paintings were made on processed bark, cotton cloth in addition to wood in addition to were used to decorate temples, pavilions, in addition to the houses of the aristocracy, especially during temple ceremonies in addition to festivals. Originally the work of artisans coming from the East Javanese Majapahit Empire (13-16th century), of which style of painting expanded into Bali late within the 13th century in addition to coming from the 16th to 20th centuries, the village of Kamasan, Klungkung, was the centre of classical Balinese art – in addition to hence the Kamasan paintings.
The original works were a communal creation; the master artist shaped the composition, sketching within the details in addition to outlines, in addition to apprentices added the colours. These works were never signed by an individual in addition to considered a collective expression of values in addition to gratitude coming from the village to the Divine. Colours were created coming from natural materials mixed with water; i.e. iron oxide stone for brown, calcium coming from bones for white, ochre oxide clay for yellow, indigo leaves for blue, carbon soot or ink for black. Enamel paint introduce by the Chinese a few hundred years ago was used on wooden panels of pavilions in addition to shrines, or upon glass.
Divine in addition to demonic
The highly detailed, sacred narrative Kamasan paintings play an essential role within the Balinese culture functioning as a bridge communicating between two worlds: the material world humans inhabit in addition to the immaterial world of the divine in addition to demonic forces.
The artist functions as a medium translating the esoteric in addition to invisible into a comprehendible visual language in addition to bringing greater understandings to the mysteries of life according to scriptures in addition to philosophies.
According to Dr. Adrian Vickers, Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at Sydney University, “The key to Kamasan painting’s sense of beauty is actually the beautiful flow of line in addition to the pure flat figuration.”
For foreign audiences, the paintings, however, present difficulties in their understanding. Without a concept of the landscape in Balinese paintings, of which’s about an arrangement of items on a flat surface akin to the shadow puppets against the screen in shadow theatre. Unlike Western modern art where paintings generally have one focal point, there is actually no central focal point to read the Kamasan narratives. Most of the paintings have multiple stories of which may be read in all areas around the composition.
Looking at the painting, of which is actually full of visual information to the extent of which nothing stands out. Tight, generalized, often repetitive patterning, often of decorative motifs in addition to combinations of graphic patterns are distributed all across the surface leaving little or no blank areas. Ornamental elements, rocks, flowers motifs in addition to painted borders indicate Indian in addition to Chinese influence coming from Chinese porcelain in addition to Indian textiles.
“Adherence to established rules about the relative size of parts of figures related to measurements within the human body – within the Balinese perspective each measurement is actually seen as a human manifestation of elements of which exist within the wider cosmos. Correctness of proportions is actually part of being in tune with the workings of divine forces within the entire world. Colours are also codified.” says Vickers in his book Balinese Art Paintings & Drawings of Bali 1800-2010. “Form evokes spirituality.”
The three realms
The two dimensional Kamasan compositions generally depict three levels: the upper level is actually the realm of the Gods in addition to the benevolent deities, the middle level occupied by kings in addition to the aristocracy, in addition to the lower third belongs to humans in addition to demonic manifestations. Details in facial features, costumes, body size in addition to skin colour indicate specific rank, figure or character type. Darker skin in addition to big bodies are typical of ogres, light skin in addition to finely portioned bodies are Gods in addition to kings. Rules control the depiction of forms; there are three or four types of eyes, a few or six different postures in addition to headdresses. The position of the hands indicates questions in addition to answers, command in addition to obedience.
The narratives are coming from the Hindu in addition to Buddhist sacred texts of Javanese-Balinese folktales in addition to romances: the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Tantri, also coming from Panji. Astrological in addition to earthquake charts are also depicted. Major mythological themes are rendered in great symmetry, while these paintings contain high moral standards in addition to function to express honourable human virtues to society with the intent to encourage peace in addition to harmony. A beautiful painting communicates balance, aesthetically in addition to metaphorically, in addition to is actually equated to the artist achieving union with the divine.
Traditional Kamasan painting is actually not static in addition to keeps evolving as subtle modifications have occurred over time as each artist has their own style, composition in addition to use of colour. of which is actually common of which brand new works regularly replace old in addition to damaged ones in addition to hence Kamasan painting is actually an authentic living Balinese tradition.
Where to see Kamasan paintings in Bali:
Museum Puri Lukisan
Jalan Raya Ubud, Bali
Tel: +62 361 971159
Open Daily 9am – 5 pm
ARMA Museum
Jalan Raya Pengosekan, Ubud, Bali
Tel: +62 361 975742
Open Daily 9am – 5 pm
Neka Museum
Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Campuhan, Ubud, Bali
Tel: +62 361 975074
Open Daily 9am – 5 pm
Nyoman Gunarsa Museum of Classical & Modern Art
Jl. Pertigaan Banda No. 1, Takmung, Banjarangkan, Klungkung, Bali.
Tel: +62 366 22256
Open Daily 10 am – 5 pm.
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Kamasan: An Ancient Living Tradition
Kamasan: An Ancient Living Tradition