Скачать или смотреть APPRECIATION OF DAMAR KURUNG FINE ART WORKS FROM GERSIK, EAST JAVA. || ENGLISH VERSION

Hello friends, I’m Assa Zaskia Alfadilah Dahlan from class XI‑1. In this video I want to appreciate the art form Damar Kurung from Gresik.

What is Damar Kurung?
Damar Kurung is a traditional visual art from the town of Gresik, East Java. It is a lantern shaped like a square box, decorated with narrative paintings that depict everyday life in the community.

Why I Appreciate It

Historical and cultural value: Damar Kurung is a heritage that has become an icon of Gresik, especially during Ramadan. Historically it was used to light graves and house terraces, with the belief that its light guides spirits or welcomes the night of Lailatul Qadar.
Educational and moral function: The paintings often contain life values, religious activities, and calls to do good, serving as an educational medium—especially for children—about Islamic and local cultural values.
Aesthetic uniqueness: The art is widely known through the work of the late folk artist Sriwati Masmundari (1904‑2005), who depicted imagination and reality in a naïve, narrative style. Bright colors—red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black—bring the stories to life.

Specific Structure of Damar Kurung

Physical form: Square (box‑shaped) rather than round like ordinary lanterns. The frame is usually made of wood or bamboo, designed for stability and ease of attaching the painted surface.
Material: The wooden or bamboo frame is covered with paper that serves as the painting surface.
Narrative painting (2‑D): Each side of the lantern is painted with a two‑dimensional narrative scene. Themes range from daily life (weddings, Eid, community events) to religious activities (prayer, Quran study) and imaginative figures such as “Nyonya Muluk.”
Artistic style: The style is naïve or primitive, not bound by formal perspective, often using simple symbols (e.g., arrows for wind) and full of the artist’s personal expression.
Internal illumination: As a lantern, Damar Kurung contains a light source (traditionally oil/damar, now often electric) that shines through the paintings, creating a distinctive visual effect at dusk or night.

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