This study examines the development of transparent colored mika shadow puppets based on a live camera projection system as an innovation in contemporary Balinese puppetry (pakeliran) for the performance Lara Rahsa. The central problem addressed is the aesthetic and technical limitation of traditional cowhide puppets in presenting colored, transparent, and multi-layered visual representations to transform the fable narrative of Kidung Tantri Nandaka Harana and ecofeminist themes. The study employed qualitative descriptive and practice-based artistic research approaches, in which the creative process, material experimentation, documentation, and reflective evaluation constituted the primary sources of knowledge, the study operationalizes the Asta Widhi Kawya creation method. Primary data were gathered through participatory observation during creative processes with the Sanggar Seni Kuta Kumara Agung, in-depth interviews with puppetry experts, and material experiments involving 0.50 mm mika sheets, UV sticker printing, and articulated joint mechanics. The findings demonstrate that integrating transparent mika puppets with an undersurface live camera projection system indicated that the projected images maintained recognizable contours, color differentiation, and layered transparency under controlled lighting conditions without sacrificing the traditional Balinese tetikesan movement aesthetic. The study contributes a practice-based model for integrating flexible transparent puppet materials and real-time camera projection into innovative Balinese puppetry.
Copyrights © 2026