THE Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic composed in Sanskrit by the Sage Valmiki. It tells about the basic story palace politics and battles with demon tribes in Lanka. Though the Ramayana epic was written in the fifth century BCE, the story remains immortal up to these days.
This epic has widely inspired many works of Balinese artists. There are ballet, shadow puppets, paintings, sculptures and others. Because there are so many important and interesting figures and events in it, each artist captures and expresses them through art media in accordance with their respective fields.
The works of the art do not only show off the beauty captured by the artists, but also re-express philosophical values that contain goodness, virtue and honesty that should be upheld. Thus, the connoisseur or audience of the arts will also captures the same values.
A sculpture artist, for example, raises the incident of the battle between Kumbakarna and the monkey soldiers of Rama during the mission to liberate Shita who was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Alengka.
It was the artist I Wayan Nyungkal from Tegallalang Village, Gianyar (1975), also inspired by this popular epic through beautifully carved wood. This five-meter high Seized Kumbakarna statue is displayed in front of the art exhibition room of the Bali Art Center located on Jalan Nusa Indah, Denpasar.
