Leyla Stevens Presents Film and Batuan Paintings at AGNSW Exploring Balinese Ecological Themes

Balinese-Australian artist Leyla Stevens has created a short film titled 'Pahit Manis, Night Forest' that is currently being shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The exhibition includes four Batuan paintings from the Australian Museum collection alongside Stevens' film. The Batuan painting style originated in the 1930s with artists Ida Bagus Made Togog and Ida Bagus Made Wija, and was collected by anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson in 1937. Stevens' work explores the dual nature of forests in Balinese tradition—as sources of harmony and disorder—through a narrative about environmental crisis. The film incorporates traditional Tantri storytelling techniques, puppetry by Dalang Ida Ayu Sri Widnyani, and music by Isha Ram Das. It addresses Bali's ecological challenges while connecting contemporary issues with historical artistic traditions.