Citra Sasmita (b. 1990, Bali, Indonesia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work challenges dominant narratives surrounding Balinese art, culture, and gender. Drawing from the visual language of traditional Kamasan painting-historically shaped within male lineages-she reinterprets its techniques to foreground feminist perspectives. Her practice often incorporates multisensory elements to explore the lived experiences of women in Bali, bridging tradition with contemporary discourse. Informed by her background in literature, physics, theatre, and illustration, Sasmita brings a distinct interdisciplinary approach to addressing social issues.
Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Empire of Soul, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL, USA (2026-2027); Who Stole the Sky, Kunsthall Stavanger, Norway (2026); Women Who Carry the Mountain, Yeo Workshop, Singapore (2026); Frieze New York 2025, presented by Yeo Workshop, New York, USA (2025); Into Eternal Land Barbican Centre, London, UK (2025); Atlas of Curiosity, Yeo Workshop, Singapore (2023); Ode To The Sun, Yeo Workshop, Singapore (2020); Under The Skin, Redbase Foundation, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2018); Beauty Anatomy, Laramona, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia (2017).
Group exhibitions include (Upcoming) Meliorism II, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2027), (Upcoming) The Asian Art Biennial, NTMoFA, Taiwan (2026); The Fiber Art Biennale, Beijing, China (2026); Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, USA (2026); Himoya: Matrilineal Energies, Oracular Kin, Tselinny, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2026); Thresholds, White Cube, Hong Kong (2025); A Knowing, Silverlens, Manila, The Philippines (2025); The Weight of Stillness, Ames Yavuz, Sydney, Australia (2025); The Archipelagic Imagination: Seaport, Almine Rech, Shanghai, China (2025); All About Eve, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2025); Layers of Accumulated Time: Depicting the World We Live in, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2025); Musafiri: Of Travellers and Guests, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Berlin, Germany (2025); SP-Arte 2025, presented by Baro Galeria, São Paulo, Brazil (2025); ARCOMadrid 2025, presented by Baro Galeria, Madrid, Spain (2025); (Re) Born From Fire, IFA Stuttgart, Germany (2024); Land of Fire, Kunsthalle Begga, Timisoara, Romania (2024); Arts Maebashi, Museum of Art Tokyo, Japan (2024); ICAD Artura, Grand Kemang, Jakarta, Indonesia (2024); After Rain, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (2024); Ten Thousand Suns, 24th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (2024); Precarious Joys, Toronto Biennial of Art 2024, Toronto, Canada (2024).
Awards and residencies
Citra Sasmita was awarded the Grand Prize at the 2026 Sovereign Asian Art Prize and UOB Painting of the Year (Gold Award) in 2017, and has held multiple lectures all over the world. Sasmita has received multiple residencies such as the Residency Seasons Winter 2024, Delphina Foundation, London (2024); SEA Air - Studio Residency by NTU CCA Singapore in the EU WIELS Centre d’Art Contemporain in Brussels ( 2022); Residensi Jogja Biennale di Kota Kinabalu, Sabah-Malaysia supported by Bekraf, Jogja Biennale, and Valentine Willie (2019); Artist in residence, Red Base Foundation Yogyakarta (2018); Festival Bangsal Menggawe (Kolaborasi Seniman dan Masyarakat), Pemenang, Lombok Utara supported by Komunitas Pasir Putih dan Koalisi Seni Indonesia (2017).