When someone from the West puts on a mask, he’s usually pretending to be someone else. But in Bali when someone puts on mask, especially a sacred mask, he becomes someone else. The mask has a life force – a spiritual magic. A sacred mask is considered to be literally alive, and when the performer puts it on, the mask’s power also enters his body.

The Balinese world is filled with magical power.  Objects that we as westerners would normally consider to be devoid of the ability to exert influence on other objects or people to them may possess a mystical force.

Masks that are used in religious ceremonies have great concentrations of power and, therefore, must be treated very carefully. Masks used in traditional dance and drama performances, even if not sacred, also must not be handled casually.

It helps to understand that to the Balinese, there is not the same differentiation that we in the West make between animate and inanimate objects. Everything contains spirit. When you consider that some of the masks represent evil spirits, such as Rangda, queen of the witches, or that some represent gods or mythical protectors, such as the Barong, it is a big responsibility to wear these masks and blend with these powers. This is usually done either in ceremonies or as part of acting out the great dramas that derive mostly from ancient Hindu epics. In Bali, it is customary that the dramas will end with neither side “winning” out over the other – instead, there is a restoration of the harmony between the good and evil forces, which, according to Balinese belief, must be kept in balance.

Masks are used in dance, as part of many rituals and performances. Dance is an expression of one’s devotion to the gods as well as a way to instill and pass on values through the stories depicted and handed down to each new generation of Balinese. 

The topeng, mask dancer, who performs at temple festivals takes on the characteristics of each mask he puts on. He will become the old man, hobbled over with slow, restricted movements, or the fierce warrior or embody the royal demeanor of a king. The dancer associates each movement with the music.

A famous carver who is also a topeng dancer, thinks of the music as he is creating the form of each mask. Topeng is tremendously popular in Bali and very entertaining. The use of humor is extensive, and each character is captivating.

In Balinese there is no word for art as something separate from offering. Most artists don’t sign their work. At a performance, individual dancers’ names are not listed on the program; it’s more often the name of the troupe and the village.

Bringing westerners, I notice how many of us were told by a parent or teacher at a tender age that we “couldn’t draw.” Some believed it and stopped drawing or creating. In Bali, almost everyone is an artist of one kind or another. Arts are interwoven with the religion and culture – wayang kulit (the shadow puppets) gamelan (the music) dance, various forms of carving, painting and batik.

In the home of a master mask maker

For 10 years now I have had the privilege of bringing groups to Bali to participate hands-on with master artists and healers. So I learned about mask carving first hand, in the home and studio of a mask carver.

In the open courtyard and studio, masks are hanging almost everywhere in sight. Some are beautiful. Others are grotesque  All are wildly creative and exquisitely crafted. This an environment partially open to the outdoors. All Balinese Hindu home compounds take the same form, with the home temple facing toward Bali’s highest and most sacred mountain, Mt. Agung. The carvers sit on a raised platform in the courtyard, and with shoes off, using their feet for holding the mask they are carving. The carvers live and breathe their trade, working quickly and with great care and precision.

Using simple woodcarving tools, the process begins with a block of wood (part of a tree with bark shaved off) cut to the height of the mask that’s desired. From this simple beginning, if I present even a rough drawing, the carver proceeds seemingly without much premeditated thought, in a flow state. First he cuts out the basic shape, and later craves out  the back. All is done with simple tools: mallet, chisel and knife. Within just a few hours the form of the face or character begins to emerge. Our masks are made of a soft wood, whereas some of the carvings we see are made of much harder woods, such as hibiscus  Traditional mask makers use the wood of the punyan pule, a common tropical tree

I bring my groups to draw and help carve masks of their own making, and to spend some days in this peaceful meditative atmosphere. It is very challenging to use carving tools and turn the raw wood into a mask. We use the tools with caution – I don’t want to cut my own foot or finger, or lose part of my mask’s lip or nose by mistake, yet I want to participate  This is done with lots of help from the carvers of the studio.

Many activities in Bali are done communally. One person may cut the blocks of wood, then another carves while others do the sanding. Painting a mask is a long process. It takes many coats to get the right feeling and look. As you can see, mask carving is a long process. It takes great creativity as well as dexterity, to form the masterpieces the artists produce. Some find their way around the world  and have been made to use in great theater companies in Japan or Paris.  Visitors have often brought their ideas into the mix. Some designs are purely Balinese in nature, while others have an “east meets west” quality.

For example, Julie Taymor, famed costume designer of the show The Lion King, took inspiration in the studio of a Balinese mask carver. It’s easy to be inspired by this process, which seems so organic as the creation emerges under the carver’s skill  There are wildly imaginative and unusual combinations of images, and a large variety of masks, including those that are human-like or angel-like, while others are like demons, gods, goddesses, animals and more. There are also many remarkable carvings that are not masks – some more than three feet high. Others hold the quality of the tree, and look like they’re emerging directly out of the wood with its form and intrinsic markings

For sacred masks, the wood must be grown in special places. It is considered wrong to kill any living thing without making offerings and asking its permission. Wood to be used for very sacred masks must be carried to temple, have offerings made to it, and it must be carved and painted in the temple.

There is a natural and joyful quality in the way the carvers assist each other. With the help of the talented Balinese and the master carver, our masks are completed. I am amazed at the skill and care that goes into each one.

Some in my group design masks combining the light and the dark, bringing in the shadow. Others take inspiration from the gods, goddesses or animals, and each one is unique. When we bring our masks home with us, they serve as a reminder of the warmth with which we were met, and the extraordinary creativity and magic of Bali.