September 21 – December 1
Esoteric Dance (2024) is a series of three paintings created in the Kamasan style, a centuries-old type of painting. The paintings depict female bodies in various positions, resembling mythological goddesses that challenge traditional visual representations, which have predominantly portrayed men since ancient times. Some figures emit fire, while others are shown split in two, with trees and flowers blooming from the division. Female heads sprout from the vegetation, while branches grow in all directions. The women are portrayed as part of a collective body, symbolising the strength of shared experiences while advocating for political demands.
Commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art and made possible with the generous support of the Women Leading Initiative.
Bio
Citra Sasmita (b.1990, Indonesia; she/her) is concerned with unravelling the myths and misconceptions of Balinese art and culture. She is also deeply invested in questioning a woman’s place in the social hierarchy and seeks to upend normative constructs of gender. Due to her interests and research around these themes of identity and agency, the artist’s oeuvre is often peppered with provocative themes that challenge the status quo, whether in its aesthetics or the messages that it conveys. Taking traditional elements, myths and iconography from ancient Balinese culture and literature, Sasmita departs from convention and traces the marginalized narrative of women in Balinese society. In her works, she endows her female figures with powerful agency, which reimagines the depiction of Balinese women against the backdrop of a patriarchal Indonesian society. For Sasmita, foregrounding women who are aware of their agency means getting close to the image of the free-thinking human, Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am.” She rejects the ubiquitous portrayal of Balinese women as passive decorative elements that exist primarily for the gratification of the tourist and male gaze; incorporating mythical references and transforming classical narratives of war and romance to symbolize female resistance instead. Her practice reflects 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. Sasmita has been exhibited internationally at various institutions and biennales, including the 35th Sao Paulo Biennale 2023, Brazil; Kathmandu Triennale 2021-2022, Nepal; Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta; ParaSite Hong Kong; MACAN Museum, Jakarta. Her most recent solo exhibition, ‘Ode to the Sun’ was held at Yeo Workshop, Singapore in 2020. In the same year, Sasmita was commissioned by UOB Museum MACAN Jakarta to create ‘Tales of Nowhere’ for the Children Art Space; following her recognition as the Gold Winner UOB Painting of The Year in 2017.
Location
- Accessibility
32 Lisgar St and Park
Accessible entrance
– Note: If you have access needs and are being dropped off at the venue, use ’36 Lisgar’ as the drop-off address instead of 32 Lisgar. This will bring you closer to our entrance.Washrooms
Elevator
AODA compliant building
Parking: Limited Street, Underground Parking (Paid)
There is ample paid parking nearby, including a Green P lot in the building, a lot accessible from the alley between Dovercourt and Lisgar off Sudbury, and street parking on both Lisgar Street and Abell Street.
- Getting There
32 Lisgar St and Park
By subway: Line 1 – From St. Andrew Station, take the 504 King streetcar west to Abell Street, walk 2 minutes. Line 2 – From Dufferin Station: take the 29 Bus south to Queen Street West, walk 7 minutes
By streetcar: Take the 501 Queen streetcar and get off at Abell Street, just east of Gladstone. Or, take the 504 King streetcar. Get off at Sudbury Street, and walk north/west along Sudbury to Lisgar Street.
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