Product Design Inspiration: Nagasepaha Glass Painting. Indonesia known for this particular tradition of glass painting in several regions in Indonesia which eventually became a marker of an area, namely Solo, Yogyakarta, Cirebon and Bali. It is a blend of various elements of Javanese culture with its puppets, Muslim influence with its calligraphy and Chinese culture with its decorative elements. Technically, traditional glass painting is done using shading or line bending that produces a decorative style.
The decorative style differs from the motif: the Cirebon tradition of glass painting has secular and neutral or not related to any religic views themes. While in Solo and Yogyakarta have horizontal form such as painting wayang themes, history and mythology or folklore with clowns as objects (semar, gareng, petruk and bagong characters in Javanese wayang).
In the Nagasepaha, Singaraja area of Bali, it was inherited from Bali, namely after the Buleleng area in the village of Nagasepaha itself. The village is the initiator of art in painting through glass media. Traced back, it was all started from the maestro, Jero Dalang Diah and his family from genereation to generations until there are large community of people goes on the same path in the village.
The Nagasepaha glass painting as one of the regional heritage of Buleleng is also proposed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2020 by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. It has a distinctive process and technique, unlike any drawing technique find these days, it uses glass media as a substitute for cloth or paper. The traditional drawing process also involved different stages of drawing than drawing techniques for paper and cloth. Due to those process and technique, wayang Buleleng painting, refering to Nagasepaha painting has its own character to any other puppet painting in the southern Bali.
Further, the piece of glass holds an unique “aura”. Especially in this particular style through glass as the medium of painting or drawing. Glass painting is an actual respectable and reputable art amongst art world due due to its endless variations. Throughout the history, a great differences in the purpose, style and technique of making glass-based works, such as stained glass, glass painting and the glass art itself. Beside their main medium of glass, what resembles them is the ability to capture and refracts natural element: lights. The natural characteristic of glass allows them to extent their form beyond function, but also aesthetics.
Nagasepaha glass painting is often used in interior elements, such as artworks to complement the space. Through explorations, a two dimensional glass painting of Nagasepaha could be applied into various interior elements. One of many is as artworks and decorations ranged from vases, glass, jar to interior elements of ceiling. It is made from oil colour on the inner side of glass, therefore the exposed side – the outer side could retain its vibrancy along time. There are several notes to take due to the colour base of the inner glass, a further protection against exposure would be needed as fading might occur to water, sweat or even scratch.
The Nagasepaha glass painting has various motifs which been developed over time. Applied as a ceiling interior element of a space, to present a welcoming experience into the foyer of the room. A transitional interior feature, taking guest from the outdoor surroundings into a more focused space of the room.
Taking a further explorations from the original traditional motifs, a blend of modernity also be adapted to suit a more light-characterized interior concept. Several glass painting applications with modern motifs have also been adapted to modern interior concepts. Sets into a more basic form: round, glass painting has become not just a complementary to the interior space itself, but also a dialog to represent the interior concept or even the brand identity.
Interior design by MELATI DANES INTERIOR.