Paper short abstract:

This paper presents drawing as crucial practice in the creative process of a PhD research on/through/for Indonesian wayang puppet theatre.

Paper long abstract:

Studying the Indonesian wayang puppet theatre recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the drawing practice opens to me the possibility to perform in between anthropology and art.

ON wayang:

I draw and copied drawings of wayang characters made by practitioners for better understanding them.

THROUGH wayang:

I sketched situations, people, movements and performance, thoughts and ideas, as living experiences.

FOR wayang:

I use drawings and texts in form of comics for showing and communicating what I have encountered. Do we know what we don't know? The knowledge is there but is tacit. How far can I write it down in an organised way? Text and drawing in the form of comics are a way to know and reveal what is there.

Conclusions:

Drawing can be a way to observe, to participate, to be present, to be here and now.

Drawing can be a way to inquiry, to know, to reveal.

Drawing can be a way to communicate, intuitively, synthetically and beyond language.

This presentation is structured in two parts: the first is to show the drawings and present the argument; the second is for live demonstration and practical workshop.