Page 77 - Raffles09_March2022

PUTU SAYOGA
Putu Sayoga is a documentary
and travel photographer based
on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
An autodidact, he taught himself the art of photography – especially street photography – during his college days in Yogyakarta. His work has been published in various publications like DestinAsian, Le Monde, Monocle,
The New York Times, Travel + Leisure SEA and ZEITmagazin, and he is co-founder of the documentary collective Arka Project.
Indonesian fabrics have long held an allure with their vast array of colours, motifs and textures that reflect the diverse cultural identity of this beguiling archipelago. For centuries, the practice of producing traditional cloths in the country has been passed down from generation to generation.
One of the most enduring and enticing forms is ikat: a particular fabric pattern achieved through dying the threads before the fabric is woven. While ikat is ubiquitous across Indonesia, the highly developed double ikat style requires such a high level of artisanship that it is only produced in the ancient village of Tenganan, Bali, outside of India and Japan.
Unlike other textiles, both warp and weft threads are dyed in complex patterns before weaving double ikat. The Tenganese people use this technique to create their very own version of double ikat: Geringsing. Intricate, lengthy, and ritually laden, the making of Geringsing can take two to five years, but if the cloth is cared for correctly, it can last for hundreds of years, making it a highly prized heirloom, as well as one of the rarest fabrics in the world. While each pattern of woven fabric has its own meaning, all examples of Geringsing are bound together by the same spiritual thread: to connect with the generosity of the god Indra. Tenganan motifs are perceived as an artistic gift from this deity, who created shadows in the sky so that they could be copied as patterns in the cloths. Believed to contain extraordinary protective powers, gerinsing fabrics are an essential part of the ceremonial dress, from weddings to teeth-cutting.
Photographer Putu Sayoga is no stranger to documenting the cultural traditions that make Indonesia unique, from the high octane tradition of horse racing, or ‘pacoa jara’, on Sumbawa to wayang wong dance performances in Tunjuk, Bali. Here he applies his candid style to get up close to the fabled process of making Geringsing to reveal some of the secrets that have contributed to the survival of this longstanding craft.
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RAFFLES MAGAZINE 75