Published date:Jan 06 2025

Journal Title: KnE Social Sciences

Issue title: The Bandung Creative Movement 2023 – Enhancing Collaboration In Arts, Design And Craft For Sustainable Creative Industries: Creative Economy

Pages:9 - 17

DOI: 10.18502/kss.v10i1.17844

Aditya Bayu Perdanajimeildotkomm@gmail.comTelkom University, Bandung

Louie BuanaLeiden University, Leiden

Ghina Amalia YuhanidaInstitut Kesenian Jakarta, Jakarta

Sri Maharani Budi HaswatiTelkom University, Bandung

Many aspects of Indonesian traditional culture may serve as a valuable source of inspiration in the creative industries. The picture book Legenda La Salaga (2021) is one recent example retelling a Mandar legend from West Sulawesi. Uniquely, the Mandar story is illustrated using traditional Balinese kamasan painting style, a deliberate choice by the book’s authors to highlight the archipelago’s multicultural society. This paper aims to describe some of the book’s visual elements and design processes that supported the book’s aim. This is done through a qualitative and explanatory approach using empirical observations of the finished product complemented by experiences of the book’s designers. The book designers built each scene into a spread with modified painting scenes on one page and trilingual text on the opposing page. In the painting scenes, digital modifications were applied to accommodate the difference in medium while still preserving essential Balinese traits such as aun-aun. In terms of typography, application of Lontara’ script text balances Mandar-Balinese visual elements and introduces the general reader with this often-neglected aspect of Sulawesi culture. Legenda La Salaga shows that considerations to cross-cultural aspects were present in every stage of the design production and applied by all collaborators.

Keywords: picture book design, La Salaga, kamasan painting, Lontara’ script

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