Janggan (2014)

Upon her arrival in Bali, the island once colonized and at the same time safe-guarded by her ancestors, she was soon being immersed into the intricate cultural and social significances of the kites. For the islanders, kite-making and kite-flying were more than just a favorite pastime. It is also a time-honored tradition and a rite of passage through which the local youths acquire the collective and communal spirits necessary for the survival of their traditional institutions. Assisted by elderly kite masters, royal patrons, and two famed kite troupes, the student discovered the arcane rituals, during which men conversed with tree and kites revered as sacred objects, as well as the present-day, boisterous competition that saw kite troupes from villages across Bali competed for the coveted crown. In the end, she also learned that, like any other age-old heritages of the touristic island, kite-making and kite-flying are endangered traditions struggling for relevance in modern Bali, an island far different than the one captured in those black-and-white photographs.