Exhibition: Citra Sasmita - Into Eternal Land
Indonesian artist Citra Sasmita is set to captivate audiences at The Curve, Barbican, with her first UK solo exhibition, Into Eternal Land. Opening on January 30, 2025, this immersive installation transforms the gallery into a 90-meter journey through ancestral memory, ritual, and the interplay between art and craft. Supported by the Bagri Foundation and Delfina Foundation, the exhibition promises a thought-provoking exploration of cultural heritage, feminist resistance, and ecological vulnerability.
Born in Bali in 1990, Sasmita’s creative journey is as unique as her work. A self-taught artist, she initially studied literature and physics before working as a short story illustrator for the Bali Post. This early focus on narrative became the cornerstone of her artistic practice, which now spans painting, sculpture, embroidery, and installation. Her work challenges gender norms, colonial narratives, and the historic marginalisation of craft, often reclaiming techniques like Kamasan painting (traditionally practiced by men) to place powerful female protagonists at the forefront of her mythological storytelling.
Sasmita's decision to use textiles in her art stems from their deep cultural significance in Indonesian traditions. In Bali, textiles are intertwined with identity, spirituality, and social status and she incorporates fabric, embroidery, and natural dyes into her practice. Her collaborations with women artisans from West Bali also helps to ensure the survival of endangered techniques. For Sasmita, textiles are not just a medium of artistic expression, but a vehicle for resistance; challenging patriarchal structures within the craft forms to amplify the voices of women and communities who have long been marginalised.
The exhibition unfolds like a living, breathing tapestry of stories. Panoramic scrolls reinterpret Kamasan techniques, depicting women in transformation - emerging as trees, bird spirits, or flames. Textiles suspended like flags act as portals to alternate realms, and shrine-like installations of python skin and braided hair evoke rituals of sacrifice, or the body’s role as a vessel for memory.
A mandala of ground turmeric anchors the exhibition, inviting quiet contemplation. Its vivid yellow hue symbolises healing and spirituality, tying the sensory experience together. Meanwhile, a soundscape by Indonesian composer Agha Praditya Yogaswara enriches the exhibition’s atmosphere, weaving sonic narratives into Sasmita’s visual cosmology.
The Barbican, one of London’s most iconic arts and events centres, plays a pivotal role in supporting bold and boundary-pushing projects like this. Its commitment to fostering emerging talent and creating a space for cultural dialogue shines through in The Curve, a gallery dedicated to commissioning new work. With free entry, Into Eternal Land is accessible to all, reflecting the Barbican’s mission to make innovative art inclusive and available to diverse audiences.
Citra Sasmita’s work speaks to pressing global concerns - displacement, ecological precarity, and the reclaiming of ancestral knowledge - while celebrating the resilience and creativity of women. For anyone who loves textiles, mythology, or thought-provoking art, this exhibition promises to be an unforgettable experience.
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Exhibition Dates: January 30 – April 21, 2025
Location: The Curve, Barbican, London
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For further information:
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/citra-sasmita
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Image credits:
Lead Image - Citra Sasmita
1. Citra Sasmita: Into Eternal Land, Citra Sasmita @Yeo Workshop / Citra Sasmita
2. Citra Sasmita: Into Eternal Land, Citra Sasmita Act Three, 2024, from Into Eternal Land, The Curve, Barbican, 2025, @Citra Sasmita
3. Installation View of Citra Sasmita, Ode to the Sun, Yeo Workshop, Singapore 2020, @Citra Sasmita