Divine Reverence is Fundamental in Balinese Mask-Making

Ida Bagus Anom Suryawan is an eighth-generation Balinese wood carving mask maker. Born and raised in the village of Mas, Indonesia’s woodcarving epicenter, Suryawan follows strict cultural protocols when he creates his masks, recognizing that these are not purely decorative pieces, but vessels that hold deep spiritual meaning at the center of keeping Balinese culture alive.

The process begins with reverence. Ida Bagus Anom Suryawan starts by studying the grain of wood, its natural shape, and its character. He waits, listening to what the wood will reveal and how it wishes to be shaped. He then consults the Balinese calendar in search of a good day to begin the carving. To prepare, he draws the face into the wood prior to whittling with a number of traditional carving tools. Once carved to perfection, the mask is sanded before the arduous painting process can begin. Each mask will require different layers of paint, at most some masks require up to forty layers.

While some folk art traditions invite innovation, Balinese mask-making is not one. Instead, artisans must follow a strict protocol of design that has been passed down for generations. “For example, each mask must have the five elements of nature represented or presented in some way. If there is an intricate pattern that traces the mouth, it must be the exact same pattern in the exact same position as the rules have dictated for hundreds and hundreds of years. One cannot deviate or add any other elements that are not listed in the protocols.” Traditional masks often symbolize spirits from the ancestral world, gods from the heavens and underworld, animals, human faces, and supernatural beings. The most common portrayals include Hanoman, dragons, eagles, boars, lions, elephants, and cows.

To be a mask-maker, one must also be a dancer. At nine years old, Anom began to learn Balinese dance, as he learned, he appreciated the importance of the mask in connecting the divine to the physical world. In addition to mask-making and dancing, Ida Bagus Anom is also a puppeteer and a highly sought-after holy man. In addition to being used in ceremonial dances, masks also hang on gates and doors as guardians and signs of protection, but most importantly they are one of the most direct ways to connect with Balinese values and ancestral stories. “If we do not have the tradition, then we do not have the modern day. And if we do not have culture, we do not have our identity.”