Wayang beber (Javanese: ꦧꦺꦧꦺꦂꦫꦤ꧀s) is an Indonesian wayang performance art whose presentation is manifested in a stretch sheets of paper or cloth with pictures in the stylized wayang accompanied by a narration by a dalang. Wayang beber performances emerged and developed in Java in pre-Islamic times, but continued into the Islamic kingdoms (such as the Sultanate of Mataram). The stories shown are taken from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. After Islam became the main religion in Java, more Panji stories were shown. Wayang beber bears a strong resemblance to narrative in the form of pictorial ballads common at annual fairs in medieval and early modern Europe. They too suffered the same fate—nearly extinct, although there are still groups of artists who support wayang beber in places like Surakarta (Solo) in Central Java. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang_beber)
WHY DO I START WAYANG BEBER SUTASOMA?
Simply to restore the Spirit of the Archipelago Culture and Nationalism.
We are big nation and have so many inherit tradition, art and culture, which has not yet been our proudness as Indonesian. Our tradition, art and culture still not be the host in our own country. We are having a new colonialism in the form of technology and it is entering our daily lives from time to time, and forget about our heritage. Starting from waking up until the time we back to sleep, almost all elements related are foreign products and influenced by foreign's culture.
This will certainly have an impact to our future generations. Slowly but surely the new colonialism diverting, eroding the culture and art as the wisdom of the archipelago. For that reason, we need to create a place for our younger generation to learn and understand the value of our Nationalism, a sense of belonging, a sense of responsibility to what we inherited from our ancestors. When nationalism begins to grow and take root, then by itself, the desire to preserve, care, and want to promote the arts and culture of Nusantara will flow naturally within us, our soul, our blood of the nation's children.
Wayang Beber, exist before wayang kulit, and it is actually how the big screen films started.
Currently in the world, especially Indonesia, the production of wayang beber has experienced a setback. In Bali in the village of Kamasan Klungkung, there are still kamasan puppet artists, and sadly young people who are interested in making wayang beber is getting lesser and lesser.
When I started working on Sutasoma in the form of Wayang Beber, during that period, there are still people working on it. I use a toothpick as a medium replacing the brush. I dipped it in liquid ink, and start the drawing. I did the repetition and stacking line by line to get the gradation and the depth of the image or shape.
If I conclude the process of doing Sutasoma Wayang Beber by combining modern elements I can get more dynamic, rather than following the traditional Wayang Beber procedure.
My goal is to make it more acceptable for both younger generation and for everybody. By accepting Sutasoma Wayang Beber, I hope there will be development and innovation in the traditional art world, so that it can still be enjoyed in the future and not vanish. I hope that interest in and implementation of form and variety in works will grow, which is rooted in the roots of Indonesian art and literature.
I hope in the future Wayang Beber Sutasoma will get its glorious time again in more modern way, in our everyday life and stories. Stories to be shared to young people about historical events in Indonesia. I do hope more artists will work on different media with their own style and point of view.