Klungkung, Ancient Kingdoms

I Nyoman Mandra
The Teacher of Kamasan Painting Style

Sangging sub village, Kamasan village is a famous village for classical puppet painting. It located about 2 km from Semarapura city to the south, or 44 km from Denpasar city to the east. I Nyoman Mandra is one of the master painters in this village. His painting style is known as wayang Kamasan (kamasan puppet), taken from the village name. This means that Kamasan puppet style cannot be found in other areas in Bali. However, each area in Bali such as Buleleng (Northern Bali), Gianyar, Badung, and other areas have their own puppet painting style. The name of Kamasan is only to distinguish it with Ubud puppet style, which is using the 3-dimension style technique.

According to Nyoman Mandra, Batuan and Ubud painting style is already influenced by the western style, because most of the guests loves to stay for along time in Ubud, but not in Kamasan. Kamasan puppet painting is less influenced and more traditionally impressed.
The destiny of the Kamasan style is having a transition time. Due to Mandra, the transition period to start worrying about the survival of this painting style in 1963, was also the eruption time of Mount Agung. This condition synchronized with the situation of Indonesian country deals with confrontation (dwikora), which made the tourism business stop for a long time. The painters shifted their jobs to become copper bokor makers. This period extended more then seven years, and only few families still continue to paint.
In 1973, the second Assistant of Culture Department of Bali Province, Nyoman Tusan, realized about the decline of the Kamasan traditional style. As the cultural chief department of Klungkung regency, he suggests to take action to handle the decline. Fortunately, the young generation in Kamasan village are zestfully compromised; even though the donation has not arrived yet. Several youngsters who loves painting founded by Nyoman Mandra, and made them the young painters at that time.
In October 1974, the directorate director of central art founding paid a visit to Kamasan village and directly handed over a donation amount of Rp 100.000 for course building.
Now, the handling of this course building is more active with intensive aid from the district government of Bali and Klungkung. With above support, the building provided benches, chairs, and other equipment making it a simple and productive place to study.
The pupils are increasing every day. The quality of Kamasan style rises to the surface with evidence of exhibitions in Bali Museum, Denpasar. Mandra’s works have been stored in several exhibitions in Fukuoka (Japan), German, Manila, America, Singapore, Basel (Swiss), and Tropem Museum (Nusantara Museum) in Nederland.
The government then trusts him to decorate the Legislative office of Bali province, as well as the wall of Executive Board building in Jakarta, with Kamasan puppet painting.
The students in his painting studio starts lessons everyday. Besides teaching the painting technique, Mandra also supplies another art form, dancing and musical instrument. He is a complete music instrument and dancing and music instructor, for the purpose of not just improving the traditional Kamasan painting, but as well as dance art and traditional music.
According to this father of three born in 1946, he teaches a discipline method of time and cloth at a early age. The cloth that he wears during practicing in the studio is light traditional in order to support the sanctity and peaceful work result of this traditional style.
“In fact, I teach the children to pray to Dewa Siwa before they come to the studio, in order to plead for guidance,” said Mandra.
“By wearing a light traditional costume, the children will feel attached and learn more seriously in the studio. If they wear a random dress, the children will feel free to play after the lesson is over. The permission of their parent will be misused,” said the culture award receiver last August.
Until now, Mandra has about 150 students. The children’s works result is stored for selling and exhibiting as well. According to the Kamasan puppet painter that workes in random dress, hurriedly finishes the order, and without supplication, the painting vibration that emerges will be less in quality. In contrary, if using appropriate dress and escorted with a prayer, the vibration of the painting will excel.
Formerly, the sketch or scratch of Kamasan style painter is impressed softly and spirited, because religious features appear while painting. For example, praying to God to plead for salvation and start painting on the correct day. This thing is basically needed because of a divinity factor, some how, occurs in Kamasan puppet painting. (BTN/Wawan)