Citra Sasmita is a Balinese multidisciplinary artist, whose work unravels myths and misconceptions about Balinese art and culture with a particular focus on building female-centered narratives that counter colonial legacies. Sasmita’s paintings, sculptures, and installations draw from the style of traditional Kamasan painting and its figurative and narrative compositions. Populating masculine mythologies with female protagonists, she reimagines this cultural heritage. Her work was included in Biennale Yogyakarta (2019) and is being presented at the Thailand Biennale in Chiang Rai (2023–24). Sasmita was a Gold Award Winner UOB Painting of the Year in 2017. 

The installation Timur Merah Project XII: Rivers with No End (2024) is the most recent iteration of Sasmita’s long-running Timur Merah Project, which she began in 2019. Meaning “the east is red,” the work follows the propagation of maritime Islamic culture across the agrarian Indonesian archipelago and is described by the artist as “a historical pilgrimage and ancestral narrative.” Sasmita explores Islam’s arrival through sea routes, beginning in the eigth century CE, and specifically the relevance of the port of Nusantara, tracing its influence on both the spiritual and material culture of the region. The work utilizes architectural elements typical of Nusantara, where the historical traces of Islam remain imprinted upon the architecture of the city. In the work, wooden pillars carved in a traditional style with minimalist floral carvings are shown at a horizontal, symbolizing rivers, the flow of knowledge, and the fluid Islamic and Hindi civilization of Bali. Attached to these pillars are embroidered tapestries and flags. The floral tapestries that comprise the work are taken from decorations traditionally found on the sails of ships belonging to the Bugis people.

To produce this work, Sasmita collaborated with a women’s community in Jembrana, Negara, West Bali to create the floral embroidery featured hanging from the antique-style pillars of the piece. The first Islamic society developed in Bali was located in Jembrana, Negara, West Bali, and still holds religious and spiritual significance due to this history. The inclusion of this craftwork reflects Sasmita’s ongoing commitment to reinserting Balinese women into historical narratives.