Tirtha Tirtha presents a perspective on the Balinese identity that is skeptical of there being a single "authentic" Bali today. Challenging the outdated visual identity that has become synonymous with tourism propaganda, post-colonial vanity, and populist rhetoric. Instead presenting a relativist's take to what Bali is, arguing how one's personal relationship to the island shapes their views on how they identify Balinese-ness. To illustrate the photographs frame water as the placeholder for Bali, a visual device that reveals how the verities of peoples found on the island relate in their own individual way to Bali. From the chlorinated pools for resort tourist, the holy spring waters for village pilgrims, the urban flood waters for inner city commuter, and the agrarian irrigation for rice terrace farmers. Presenting portraits to broaden our empathy for different perspectives of Bali, and landscapes to examine our own relationship with place and identity.
- Sovereign Art Foundation Asian Art Prize nominee 2025- Australian Photography Awards Documentary category Finalist 2024
- B&W International Photography Awards Honourable Mention 2024
Register your interest for the book's release in late 2025
- Sovereign Art Foundation Asian Art Prize nominee 2025
- Australian Photography Awards Documentary category Finalist 2024
- B&W International Photography Awards Honourable Mention 2024
Register your interest for the book's release in late 2025