The Art Reclaimed Archive

The Saman Dance, also known as Tari Saman, is a traditional dance originating from the Gayo region of Aceh, Indonesia, distinguished by its captivating visual appeal. Beyond it, the Saman Dance carries profound cultural and historical significance, serving as a potent symbol of unity, spiritual devotion, and the collective strength of the Aceh people.  The dance was created in the 14th century by Sheikh Saman, a revered Islamic scholar, and originally functioned as a medium for religious education and community cohesion during Islam's dissemination across the archipelago. Evolving from a simple village recreational game called pok ane, it developed into a sophisticated dance form that integrates rhythmic verses intended to extol God and impart moral teachings. These verses, typically recited in the Gayo language, are integral to the performance, seamlessly marrying religious themes with poetic expression, and underscoring the dance's role in both cultural preservation and spir...

Indonesian anyaman is a longstanding traditional art form that dates back centuries and involves weaving together natural plant fibers to create both functional and decorative items, including baskets, mats, furniture, and containers. This craft is deeply intertwined with indigenous cultures, specifically the traditions of the Malay and Kalimantan communities. The intricate hand-woven techniques utilized in anyaman often feature motifs that reflect regional identity and elements of the natural world, demonstrating the cultural heritage and diversity of Indonesia.  The process of basketwork is characterized by the crossing of various plant materials to form a sturdy and usable clump, with a wide variety of natural resources being utilized in this practice, such as skewers, rattan, bamboo, roots, pandan, mengkuang, and jute. These materials are generally chosen for their ease of drying and softness, which make them suitable for weaving. The motifs incorporated into basketwork are re...

Batik, recognized as a significant cultural heritage of Indonesia, serves as a representation of artistic beauty, historical depth, and philosophical meaning embedded in its designs. Among the various styles of batik, Batik Jumputan is particularly notable for its distinctive production technique, which involves tying threads in a manner that sets it apart within Indonesia’s traditional batik repertoire. In Sumatra, Jumputan is referred to as 'pelangi,' which means 'rainbow.' Conversely, in Java, Jumputan is known as 'kain kembangan,' or 'flower cloth,' due to its dyeing process that reflects the colors of flowers. The creation of Batik Jumputan necessitates a detailed and precise manufacturing process, beginning with fabric preparation and extending through the intricate methods of thread tying and dyeing.  What distinguishes Batik Jumputan is the unique patterns formed through a meticulous thread-tying technique. This process allows artisans to create...

What is it? Silungkang Songket is a highly esteemed hand-woven brocade fabric hailing from West Sumatra, Indonesia, and serves as a significant representation of Minangkabau cultural heritage. This remarkable textile is primarily crafted from fine silk or cotton, showcasing intricate geometric designs that are often influenced by natural motifs such as stars, flowers, and bamboo. A distinctive feature of Silungkang Songket is the incorporation of glimmering gold or silver metallic threads, which are applied using a supplementary weft weaving technique. This method involves skillfully tucking these threads into the fabric, resulting in captivating visual effects that enhance the overall beauty of the textile. The nomenclature "songket" is derived from the word "sungkit," which translates to "hook" or "tuck," thus reflecting the weaving technique applied in its creation.  How to make it? Crafting Silungkang Songket involves a meticulous and labor-...

Noken is a traditional craft originating from Papua, particularly the Papua Selatan region, characterized by its unique hand-knitting or weaving techniques utilizing natural fibers such as tree bark, pandan leaves, or orchid fibers. This craft has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO since 2012 due to its significance in the daily lives of the Papuan people. Noken is essentially a knotted net or woven bag crafted by communities in the Papua and West Papua Provinces of Indonesia. It serves multiple purposes: men and women use it to carry various items, including plantation produce, catches from the sea or lakes, firewood, babies, small animals, and for shopping or storage within households. Additionally, Noken is worn during traditional festivities and is often presented as a peace offering, demonstrating its cultural importance and versatility in the sociocultural fabric of the region. The method of making Noken involves several intricate techniques. The process...

Hamilton is a musical created and led by music composer and songwriter, also occasionally dubbed a music legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda. His way of shedding light onto the forgotten life of U.S.A. founding father Alexander Hamilton, with the fast raps, energetic beats, and melodic harmonies, changed Broadway forever. Performance art was never the same after that. Well, modern performance art atleast. Although this modern world has led to rapid consumerism and swift online trends, society tends to forget about our very own roots. Of how, before we had Dear Evan Hansen or Chicago, before all the performance art majors at NYU, we only had our traditions. Fortunately enough, Indonesian cultures have kept up the work and preserved traditional theatre performance art forms for decades now. For example. Ponorogo’s very own Reog Ponorogo.  The Ponorogo District Government stated that Reog Ponorogo is a type of traditional dance that is presented as a dramatic dance art, becoming the main iden...

Prasi is a type of miniature painting or carving that originated in Bali and started to gain popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries. Painting on palm leaves is a long-underappreciated art form that can be used for both artistic meditation and inscription. Written awiq-awiq (village regulations) and kidung (strict, musical poetry) or kakawin (long form poetry), which were frequently retellings of folktales and Hindu mythology, were among the more practical and poetic uses for the content inscribed within the prasi. A single character typically fills the composition of a painted prasi. In the event that they didn't, written works have Balinese script etched throughout the palm leaves, while they are arranged in strips like a comic, showing actions throughout various individual folios.  The artisan demonstrates an artistic process through the application of black dye from the hazelnut onto the leaf, showcasing the creation of scripts, symbols, or illustrations. This practice is par...

Music. It’s all around. You can hear it on the streets. From the nearest ice cream truck. You can even hear it in the trees. Music is not just mastering a tricky instrument or humming a tune. It’s what fuels humans, transcending normal conversations and becoming a way for oneself to express messages towards a plethora of people all at once, in addition to doing it artistically. Not only that, but music also enhances the ambiance of a performance, making it dramatic, heartfelt, or even sad. Take the orchestra as an example. A carefully selected arrangement of specific instruments, all with the purpose of adding music to an already existing performance. The orchestra is a highly renowned form of music, as it has been played in various of different events for centuries. Whether it be symphony concerts, the ballet, or a live screening of a brand new movie. The orchestra isn’t just limited to leading countries that dominate the classical music industry, such as Germany and France, but it is...

The art of dancing has revolutionized the world. Translating one’s energy into funky dance moves to help express their thoughts and feelings. Nowadays, modern dance is everywhere, ranging from the newest TikTok dance to a recent comeback from a rookie K-Pop group. Practically everyone knows how to dance now. Whether it be the boogie, the moonwalk, or even stiff and robotic movements. However, even though we currently live in a world of rapid globalization, traditional dances still manage to survive this worldwide phenomenon. Indonesia is home to over 3,000 traditional dances, scattered throughout the archipelago. Traditional dances such as Saman and Piring are some of the more popular ones. But, even though that is the case, more underrated Indonesian dances, such as the Pakarena dance, should still be known for its art.  Pakarena dance, also known as ‘Tari Kipas or ‘Fan Dance’, is an intricate and detailed traditional dance all the way from South of the Sulawesi island. Originati...

What are they?: Balinese art is a vital component of the island's culture, reflecting its rich historical and cultural heritage. Recognized as the art hub of Indonesia, Bali boasts renowned regions such as Ubud and Batuan for paintings, Mas for woodcarvings, Celuk for gold and silver, and Batubulan for stone carvings. The art is characterized as a developed yet informal Baroque folk style, merging peasant vibrancy with Hindu classical refinement, infused with a unique tropical exuberance.  History: Balinese art, also referred to as Hindu-Javanese art, has its roots in early A.D. times, influenced by Hindu-Buddhist culture from India alongside Chinese culture. In the 14th century, the Majapahit empire brought Javanese culture to Bali, which was blended with local customs instead of being wholly adopted, leading to the distinctive Hindu-Javanese art style. Notable from this era is the Kamasan painting, which depicts Hindu-Javanese epics like the Mahabharata. Initially, Balinese art ...

When people speak of Indonesian theatre performances, spectacles such as the ‘Wayang’ shadow puppets or traditional dances often come to mind. And while those are in fact Indonesia’s most famous forms of theatre performances, they’re certainly not the only ones. In fact, Indonesia holds a variety of different theatrical productions, ranging from musicals to masked dances. According to Britannica, most of the old Indonesian theatre forms are even directly linked to local literary traditions, whether they be oral or written. This evidently proves that Indonesian theatre has been passed down through centuries, from generation to generation. The art of Indonesians performing extravagant plays on public stages with a grand audience watching has been a traditional cultural art for a very long time, and it’s about time more people learn about it.  To know more about Indonesian theatre, there has to be a general understanding of what theatre actually is. Theatre art, defined by the Elton ...

Pottery, an art form built for artistic expression and relaxation. 2023 research by Melvi Rosilawati, M.Psi, from EMC Healthcare, revealed that pottery is often used for art therapy, providing a space for people of all ages to manage their emotions and stress. The art form is practically everywhere. From New York pottery workshops to ancient artifacts in museums, the craft of pottery has existed for such a long time, accessible to almost anyone. And whilst in this current modern age pottery is now primarily used for those reasons, especially in Western and Eastern countries, it used to be for crafting cultural heritage by numerous countries across the sea, including Indonesia. Indonesian pottery has existed for a very, very long time now, surpassing even some of our oldest ancestors. Some of the most well-known Indonesian potteries are from Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, and even more regions. However, there is an underrated powerhouse of pottery-making. That is, the Sitiwinangun village, w...