Citra Sasmita at The Curve - Barbican

Through painting, installation, embroidery and scent, Citra Sasmita's solo exhibition was a meditative journey exploring ancestral memory, ritual and migration. The whole thing felt like stepping into another world—a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, but in a way that felt fresh and new.

Sasmita’s practice often engages with the Indonesian Kamasan painting technique. Dating from the fifteenth century, and traditionally practiced exclusively by men, Kamasan was used to narrate Hindu epics. Reclaiming this masculine practice, Sasmita is interested in dismantling misconceptions of Balinese culture and confronting its violent colonial past. Challenging gender hierarchies and reinventing mythologies, her protagonists are powerful women who populate a post-patriarchal world.

One of the things that really stood out to me was how all of Sasmita’s pieces hung from the ceiling. It gave the work a kind of floating, ethereal and spiritual quality, almost like they were suspended in time. The materials she used—like the snake skin at the back of some pieces and the braided hair in the installations—felt so personal and intimate, but also deeply tied to culture and history. It was a beautiful balance between ancestral traditions and something modern, which made the experience feel both reflective and inspiring.

It felt welcoming, even though it was steeped in symbolism. There was something incredibly soothing about it, a chance to pause and just take it all in. And the best part? It’s free! So there’s really no excuse not to visit if you get the chance.