This fascinating wall mask portrays the revered Hindu goddess Sita, who stands as the central female figure in the ancient epic, the Ramayana, and is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu. Through the intricate technique of batik, where wax-resist dyeing is employed, the exquisite mask by Javanese artisan Gunadi comes to life on a canvas of black wadang wood beautifully adorned with a mesmerizing interplay of vibrant motifs and colors.
strong>Story Behind the art:
Update 2023

I was born into an artisan family — that's why I decided to work in wood batik, especially since this job also provides income for my neighbors. Batik painting on wood is a very unique craft that may only be found in Yogyakarta, my hometown. It's a city that is very artistic, cultured, and has a high appreciation for its rich history. We have so much heritage here, including temples and palaces. Very friendly local people and delicious traditional food, all set in beautiful natural scenery.

At first, I wanted to preserve the hand-painted batik on these various crafts to empower my neighbors so they could have additional income for their survival. The complexity of this batik painting on wood makes me even more motivated to continue to preserve this craft. Today, I work with the help of ten artisans, including my family members.

The traditional batik motifs that I use are classic traditional motifs that have been used by our ancestors. The Parang, Kawung, and Truntum motifs have deep historical values that inspire me and greatly affect the life of the Javanese people. Preserving culture is one of the goals I want to achieve. For this reason, I hope that in the future, young people can be more interested in getting to know and learning about the culture and crafts of ancestral heritage.

I hope that over the next ten years, I can create and innovate designs that can optimally apply classic batik. Also, I can build a better synergy with the batik artisans.

As an Indonesian cultural heritage, batik has made Yogyakarta increasingly famous in the world. If there are relatives who have never been to Yogyakarta to visit me, I will take them to places that have cultural values. Of course, I will definitely take them to a place where batik is made so that they always remember the cultural heritage of Indonesia and Jogjakarta. They also have the experience of enjoying traditional food in Yogyakarta. One of them is nasi bakar, which is very easy to find here. This is rice and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled. It's very tasty and not difficult to make.

Maybe there's something you should know,. I really idolize Angelina Jolie as she is a great humanitarian and philanthropist.

Original Bio

I was born in 1981 in a small village not far from the city of Yogyakarta, which is rich in art and philosophies. I am a married man with one son, and this requires more responsibility in making a good plan for his life in the future.

In Java, arts and crafts are typically used in custom events or a special collection, and batik is closely associated with traditional ceremonies. There are philosophies contained in the art of batik.

My parents taught me about working hard to reach my dreams and to always think positive, to be wise and help others. The spirit of an entrepreneur grew in me, and I decided to resign from the company where I worked. The wood batik artisans in my village were unemployed, as the company where they worked was closed. Most of them are women, and I began organizing them. Now, thank God, they can work at home and have more time for their families.