Cover image for Wajang Purwa

Installation image of Wajang Purwa Front Covers in Mangasia at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, 2017. Ardisomaʼs masterpieces were named after the tradition of puppet theatre common to Indonesia; Wayang means ‘puppet’, or ‘shadow puppet’, while Purwa translates to ‘beginning or ‘old’. Wajang (or wayang) comics were highly popular from the mid- 1950s until around 1980. Wajang Purwa references the Indian classics Mahabharata and Ramayana, while incorporating Javanese gods and legends. Intended to run to twenty-four instalments (each a chapter in itself), the series was halted after twenty-two issues when the printer got into financial difficulties. A selection of the dramatic, highly coloured front covers is pictured.

This work features in Mangasia: Wonderlands of Asian Comics, a Barbican International Enterprises exhibition, curated by Paul Gravett. Mangasia presents a vivid journey through the art of Comics and visual storytelling across Asia. From its historical roots to the most recent digital innovations, the exhibition looks to popular Japanese ‘Manga’ and beyond, highlighting key creators, characters and publications.