Siew Lian LimDepartment of Visual Art - Sculpture, School of Art, Northern Illinois University
Transmitting the Ramayana Epic to Southeast Asia and the West through Shadow Puppetry and Visual Art
Conclusions
Introduction
“ The Ramayana can free us from our own
stupidity ” Larry Reed
Shadow Light Productions
San Francisco
• The Ramayana: One of two major epics of Hindu
mythology that have been performed by traditional
Southeast Asian (SEA) puppet plays.
• The other is The Mahabharata.
• Best known of many versions: Written by the Sanskrit
poet Valmiki 300-500 BC.
The basic Ramayana story
• Prince Rama’s wife, Sita, is kidnapped by evil King
Ravana.
• Rama journeys to rescue her with Hanuman, a monkey
and his monkey army.
• Rama rescues Sita after a series of battles, and Rama
kills Ravana.
Four research questions
1. How has traditional shadow puppetry been used
to transmit The Ramayana in Southeast Asia?
2. What is the contemporary status of shadow
puppetry in Southeast Asia?
3. How has shadow puppetry been used to present
The Ramayana to Western audiences?
4. How have shadow puppet forms from The
Ramayana been used in visual art?
Method
• Examine traditional SEA shadow puppetry, particularly
relating to The Ramayana.
• Examine shadow puppetry in contemporary SEA.
• Examine & interview Western shadow performers.
• Apply shadow theatre and Ramayana in researcher’s
visual artwork.
Shadow Puppetry in Southeast AsiaTheories and legends about
origins of Shadow Puppetry
• Indigenous animist rituals in Java 3000 years ago
(Indonesia).
• Leather to craft the sandstone Ramayana reliefs at
Angkor Wat in 12th Century AD (Cambodia).
• Indian chitra katha scroll paintings in Sukhothai in 13th
Century AD (Thailand).
• Chinese invented it in 2nd Century BC, and imported it to
SEA (China).
Common features of SEA Shadow Puppetry
• Carved leather puppets cast shadows on a screen.
• Stories - Mahabharata/Ramayana myths.
• Clown puppets - not myths - for entertainment.
• The puppet master- center of performance.
• A form of popular entertainment.
The Ramakien
•The Thai version of The Ramayana
•Highly honored in Thailand
•Rama is an earlier incarnation of the Buddha
•The basis of most Nang Talung and Nang Yai
performances
Malaysia
Between Java and Thailand
•Several imported forms of Shadow Puppetry from Java
and Thailand.
•.Wayang Siam: indigenous Malay form
Raja Seri Rama
The Malaysian version of The Ramayana
•Significant part of Malaysian culture and Wayang Siam
stories.
Shadow Theater in
Contemporary Southeast Asia
Changes in Politics & Culture
Indonesia: Wayang Kulit used for propaganda
=
Cambodia: Being revived by Sovanna Phum Arts Association
after being banned by the Khmer Rouge
Malaysia: Wayang Kulit Seri Asun survives after Wayang
Siam is banned in Kelantan.
SEA Shadow Puppetry in the West
Three major producers
• Larry Reed, Shadow Lights Production, San Francisco.
• Maria Bodman, Bali and Beyond, Los Angeles.
• Tamara Fielding, Tamara and the Shadow Theatre of Java,
Northport, NY - The ONLY one who performs The Ramayana.
Shadow Puppetry and The Ramayana in Visual Art
Work by Siew Lian Lim Repurposed plastic and refuse
Conclusions1. Shadow Puppetry has transmitted The Ramayana throughout
SEA.
2. Contemporary Shadow Puppetry adapts to contemporary
politics and popular culture – Ramayana secondary.
3. Shadow Puppetry performed by Western artists. Only Tamara
Fielding presents The Ramayana.
4. Shadow Puppetry as visual art: shadow puppetry and The
Ramayana as inspiration for contemporary visual art, including
work by the researcher.
Works CitedBroman, Sven. Shadows of Life: Nang Talung. Bangkok, Thailand: White Orchid Press, 1996.
Fielding, Tamara. “Ancient Arts in Modern Times.” Tamara and The Shadow Theatre of Java, 2000. 31
May 2010 < http://www.indonesianshadowplay.com/artist.html >.
Irvine, David. Leather Gods & Wooden Heroes: Java’s Classical Wayang. Singapore: Times Editions,
1996.
zek, Jan. Phenomenology of a Puppet Theatre : Contemplations on the Art of Javanese Wayang
Kulit. Leiden, Neth: KITLV Press, 2005.
Mulyano, Ir. Sri. Human Character in the Wayang. Trans. M. M. Madeiros. Jakarta: Pustaka Wayang,
1977.
Reed, Larry. Personal Interview. 29 May 2010.
Sweeney, Amin. Malay Shadow Puppets. London: British Museum Publications, 1972.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, particularly Java and Bali,
Shadow Puppetry developed and flourished
under the name Wayang Kulit.
A multimedia art formDrama, Painting, Carving, Literature, Voice,
Instrumental music, Mimicry
The Dhalang – the puppet-masterThe mastermind behind the performance
•Sets the tone of the drama
•Speaks the lines of all the characters
•Tells the story
•Directs the gamelon (orchestra) and singers
•Manipulates the puppets
•Makes comments on the story and its meaning
•Can improvise
•A one-person multimedia performer.
Wayang Purwa: Four cycles of stories
•Three from The Mahabharata
•One from The Ramayana.
•The Mahabharata - more popular and common in
Indonesia.
Thailand/Cambodia
Two styles of Shadow Puppetry
1. Nang Yai (Sbaek Thom - Cambodia)
Big puppets held by dancers for royal courts and ceremonies
2. Nang Talung (Sbaek Touch - Cambodia)
Popular small puppet controlled by a single puppeteer
•Like Wayang Kulit but more naturalistic style•
ShadowSita, Rama, and Hanuman - Indonesian style
Rama and Sita, Indonesian style
Rama and Sita, Malaysian style
Puppets by Contemporary Indonesian Dhalang
Enthus Susmono
Malaysian Wayang Siam Puppets
Seri Rama (Rama) Mahraja Wana (Ravana) Hanuman and Hanuman IkanSiti Dewi (Sita)
Sita and Rama Ravana
Hanuman
Hanhsuma Tree of Life
Javanese Wayang Kulit Puppets
Nang Sida (Sita)Phra Ram (Rama) Thosakan (Ravana)
Thai Nang Talung Puppets
George W. Bush BatmanSelf - portrait
10-Faced Ravana (collection) Sita
Southeast Asian Studies Student Conference, 2011
Thailand Cambodia