CITRA SASMITA

Atlas of Curiosity Yeo Workshop 29 July–20 August 2023 Singapore

Press Release

Yeo Workshop is pleased to present Atlas of Curiosity by Citra Sasmita, the artist’s second solo exhibition at the gallery. This new body of work stems from her long-term ongoing research project Timur Merah, meaning ‘The East is Red’, which traces historical narratives around the Malay-Indonesian archipelago (also known as Nusantara), particularly those about Bali. For this exhibition, Sasmita continues to incorporate textiles in her traditional Kamasan paintings as a symbolisation of body and souls. She takes inspiration from Fabricating Power with Balinese Textile (2018) by anthropologist and doctor Urmila Mohan, who wrote extensively about the historical significance of fabrics in Bali particularly its trading history when the Dutch and British had vied for control over Bali’s port, and its later emergence into a valuable commodity for communication. Secret codes were hidden within fabrics and transported between kingdoms in the archipelago to disseminate information, much like morse codes used during wartime.

Probing the role of women in Indonesian literary and artistic canon in manifold ways, spiritual and emphatic, these works urge deeper reflection on access and autonomy, in relation to gender and class constructs in society, and Dutch colonialism during the 19th century. Bali’s colonial history had shaped notions of authenticity and who was considered valuable in Balinese artistic heritage. This exhibition sheds critical light on the important but often overlooked role of women in Indonesian history, challenging existing post-colonial narratives that perpetuate gender stereotypes and inequality. Imbued with a powerful cosmology, Sasmita’s works inevitably pull you into her own expansive, prophetic universe of divine heroines—one that is undeniably perceptive and convincing. Each work acts as a repository of spellbinding chronicles that invites you to look closer and ponder about its prolific meanings.

Selected Works

Tales of The Red Spirit and Eternal Sea by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Tales of The Red Spirit and Eternal Sea, 2023 Hair, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
120 x 80 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Fountain of Sisyphus by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Fountain of Sisyphus, 2023 Hair, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
85 x 65 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Theater of The Doom by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Theater of The Doom, 2023 Acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
146.5 x 132 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Existence of The Infinite Cycle by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita Existence of The Infinite Cycle, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
171 x 117 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Spiritus Sancti by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita Spiritus Sancti, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
159 x 117 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Temple of God Fire by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita Temple of God Fire, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
157.5 x 108 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Homo Luminous by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita Homo Luminous, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
161.5 x 108 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Altar of the Divine Awakening by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Altar of the Divine Awakening, 2023 Acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
65.5 x 75.5 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Miraculous Mirage by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Miraculous Mirage, 2023 Acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
66 x 58 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

The Birth of Universe by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita The Birth of Universe, 2023 Acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
66 x 57.5 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

The Genealogy of Enlightenment by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita The Genealogy of Enlightenment, 2023 Hair, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
85 x 65 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

Subliminal Voyage by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting

Citra Sasmita Subliminal Voyage, 2023 Hair, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
120 x 80 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

The Stars and Ring of Fire by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita The Stars and Ring of Fire, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
179 x 103 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

The Green Paradise by Citra Sasmita contemporary artwork painting sculpture textile

Citra Sasmita The Green Paradise, 2023 Antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas
165.5 x 117 cm
Yeo Workshop Sold

About the Artist

Citra Sasmita is a Balinese artist whose practice focuses on dismantling the myths and misconceptions of local art and culture in Bali, Indonesia. She is also deeply invested in questioning a woman’s place in society and seeks to upend the normative constructs of gender. Sasmita engages with the Indonesian Kamasan painting technique, which dates from the fifteenth century and traditionally practiced exclusively by men, to reimagine and reinvent epics of war and romance as a reclaimation of female agency. Her works reflect the complexity between the Anthropocene, post-human, and feminism while simultaneously repositioning women within the historical canon – an action that is necessarily urgent in her Balinese environment.

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Also Exhibiting at Yeo Workshop

All Exhibitions

LUKE HENG Luke Heng: and periwinkle blues Yeo Workshop 16 July–11 September 2026 Singapore

JUSTIN LOKE, NOOR MAHNUN (ANUM), SHAYNE PHUA, HOA DUNG CLERGET Scenes from Another Life Yeo Workshop 15 August–11 October 2026 Singapore

About the Gallery

Yeo Workshop is a contemporary art gallery based in Singapore’s Gillman Barracks, dedicated to showcasing Southeast Asian artists who push the boundaries of visual culture. From traditional painting and sculpture to cutting-edge digital media, the gallery fosters a bold and diverse program that engages with pressing socio-cultural issues, encouraging critical dialogue and fresh perspectives.

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Yeo Workshop

47 Malan Road, Lock Road 01-25, Singapore, Singapore

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Opening Hours:
Tue to Sat 11 am – 7 pm
Sun 12 pm – 6 pm
Closed on Mondays & Public Holidays

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The art world in focus

CITRA SASMITA

Installation Views

Selected Works

Also Exhibiting at Yeo Workshop