SUMBA, A DYNAMIC MYSTERY
Story and Images by Ferry R. Tan
I see myself as a curator and collector of experiences. My passion is to explore the world. I love to photograph nature and people in their real life situations because to me, it is more challenging as opposed to the controlled set-up in the privacy of a studio.
If you are a passionate traveler like me, you will probably agree when I say that a plane ticket is the only thing you buy that makes you rich. Rich in knowledge about the world and people. Also, you learn to relate things better in life. At least that's how I felt every time I returned from a trip. I always come back with a smile and a great sense of satisfaction. Although the journey is already behind me, it felt like it isn’t over yet.
Back home, I’ll relive the journey through my memories, and my images. I keep my experiences alive with writing and images because a story told in only text form can be boring but at the same time, a photo only cannot tell the whole story. However, when it’s told combined with imagery it suddenly becomes more compelling and engaging.
Like the links in a chain; every story leads to another, so I forged the iron while it was hot. I am absolutely not a writer, but now it's finished, I hope my writing is fun to read and seductive enough to persuade you to visit Sumba.
In the era of digital imaging we are being bombarded with images with such a fast pace. So much so, that I asked myself; How do I make my photos stand out in a world that is so full of pictures? In my opinion, one of the solutions is finding a personal perspective and apply it to my work.
MY SUMBA EXPERIENCE... "Travel gave me important lessons about genuine living and the opportunity to accumulate priceless storytelling images"
WHY I CHOSE TO DO A STORY ABOUT SUMBA
My first encounter with Sumba was in November 2017, when I was part of an adventurous journey as an instructor for the photography group. To make a long story short, it was love at first sight, because the authenticity of the island was very tangible. An experience that I did not feel at other places in Indonesia and which for me was a legitimate reason to go back to learn more about the island. Once back to the base, I started collecting information about Sumba.
Initially I started surfing the internet and then combined it with real-time information that I obtained from local sources that I got to know during the first trip. I started to process all obtained information into a story. My search for information continued both online and offline and I started editing the photo material I have obtained so far. Then I started to incorporate the whole into a concept that formed the basis for my photo story, but at the same time it is also an evaluation tool and it quickly became clear that I needed more visual material to make a complete story about Sumba possible. So, a reconnaissance trip was planned quickly.
But before the big work could start, we first had to complete an extensive checklist that took a lot of time. In the first place, we had to conduct an extensive research into life on the island and obtain as much information as possible about infrastructure, culture, traditions, popular customs and religion. Furthermore, the necessary coordination with the local authorities in connection with planned photography activities, particularly with a view to do's and don'ts.
My own Sumba experience began in March 2018 - when I went to Sumba with my friend Ary Suryanto, a Jakarta filmmaker, to do extensive research on a photo story about the island I wanted to realize. The island is known for its weaving technique, the Ikat. So our first thought was to portray the Ikat cloth, worn by the locals and photographed in the epic landscape of Sumba. Authenticity was the key to our project, so we would choose the ancient villages of Sumba, the beautiful low-hanging limestone hills and the vast, rolling savannas, the home of the indigenous sandalwood pony, as the background for the story.
Every photographer has to deal with Mother Nature's state of mind when working outdoors. Apart from preparing the necessary equipment, lighting and weather conditions are high on the list. It was March so; we had a good chance of reasonable good weather during the day and bright starlit nights. However, according to the locals, the weather would be more consistent from April. We have had a few showers, though, but those did not last longer than ten minutes, so we were quite satisfied with the weather we were given.
I put a lot of pressure on myself to return with meaningful images. But I somehow, enjoy the peculiar feeling of tension before and during each trip because I never know what’s going to happen next. Photography is a long journey full of serendipities. It is an endless road with many unknown side turns and alleyways that you want to explore and each of which has its own story. If you choose to travel safely and quickly, you probably take the protocol route. But, curious that I am, I will of course choose the longest road and take the alleyways.
As a photographer, I will never be an impartial observer, I want to be involved. I have feelings, what I see and experience will always invoke an emotional response. When I go out to take photos, I look for those connections because I feel that photography doesn’t always have to be about facts. It can also be the emotional reflection of the facts. So, my pictures are not just visual documents but more interpretive. I just need a keen, non-judgmental eye, and do it all: people, wildlife, action, landscapes, seascapes and what have you.
These are all subjects every photographer dreams of; then what is the problem? Granted, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, it shouldn't be too difficult to make dozens of great photos in one day. Well, this is true if you are a tourist and you only want to come home with beautiful pictures. However, that is not the case with a visual story.
Sumba is a perfect holiday destination for adventurers and for those who seek genuine culture and tradition, Sumba has it all. The landscapes of Sumba are beautiful through their diversity. They are the predicate of the island as the dry island. The scenery showed different characteristics while I traveled from east to west. The impressive plains of rolling savannas that miraculously change with the colors of the season, the unspoiled beaches, and majestic waterfalls are unbeatable.
Not to mention the island's customs like the Pasola, and the traditional woven Ikat cloth as just a few of many. At first glance, Sumba seems versatile, photogenic and easy to photograph. However, in my experience, the opposite is true. In other words, Sumba has too many varieties and possibilities, up to its sleeve that producing images according to a concept is not as simple as it seems.
Every moment of my trip was memorable and worthy of all efforts, especially those in which the local people are involved in their customs and traditions. For example, the betel nut ceremony seemed to be taken very seriously in the ceremonial life of the Sumbanese. The sirih pinang, as it’s called here, consists of the sirih fruit (betel fruit here instead of leaves), a vine-related vine and the pinang (areca nut) and slaked lime. I too was encouraged to participate in the chewing party in every village visit. The symbolism is a representation of balance and perhaps the reason why it is so widespread. The long sirih fruit represents man and the round pinang woman. The white lime represents sperm and the red spit, blood, produced by chewing. It is a ritual fertility offering to the earth and ancestors.
IDENTITY vs PROGRESS
Taken from a personal perspective, both have their pros and cons. Compared to its neighboring islands, Sumba is a little known holiday destination. The island covers an area of 11,059.6 square kilometers, half desert in the east and half jungle in the west. Sumba is an island with a history of tribal tension. The Marapu is an animistic belief that has influenced almost every aspect of the lives of the Islanders and wherein the living tries to appease the spirits of the dead.
In Sumba, the rugged nature still dominates the landscape and the presence of the spiritual power of Marapu is still profound and sincerely practiced. Therefore, I have felt the authenticity of Sumba stronger compared to what I have experienced on its much more sophisticated neighboring island of Bali. Granted, Bali too has breathtaking landscapes and is also rich in culture and tradition.
However, throughout the decades Bali has built the reputation as one of the most popular holiday islands in the world. As a consequence, the island has a much larger number of visitors per year, but should, therefore, focus more on commercial tourism. The island's nature, culture, and tradition have become the products of progress which in turn has impacted the environment and the indigenous population. For them, there was a price tag, attached to progress.
Although the general infrastructure on the island can be considered traveler-friendly, there are still many unpaved roads that will not help you to make your trip easier. But, personally, I think that's what makes Sumba the perfect holiday destination if you are looking for real culture and adventure. For the photographers among us; just get up early and stay up late to get the best light and those - once in your life - images. Keep in mind that no day is the same and that sleeping is only for the dead.
I work on one of the scenes that are part of our concept. For this scene we went to a village called Wunga, located in the far dry north of East Sumba. For the photo shoot we found a village elder and his grandson ready to pose for us, dressed in the traditional Tenun Ikat, a product of the weaving culture of Sumba.
Extensive grasslands make Sumba one of the leading horse breeding islands in Indonesia. Nowadays, horses still serve as a mode of transport in the more rugged regions and remain a symbol of wealth and status that can win a bride. For centuries, Sumba was identified as a source of sandalwood, slaves, and horses. In the past, Sumba was known as an island of cannibal tribes but, today it is known for its sculpted megalithic tombs, war game rituals, and complicated textiles.
In the next episodes I will go more into the identity of Sumba in itself. To date, the island is still a bit familiar to tourists as opposed to the other neighboring islands. Sumba is an island with a deep and mysterious historical background of tribal tension, sacred ikat cloth and the Marapu religion, in which the living constantly strive to please the dead. So far I hope that I have managed to entertain you to learn more about Sumba and if I did, you will stay informed of the upcoming stories.
Mai La Humba!
To be continued in PART TWO!
"Photography is my work
And travel is my game
They are the reason why I survive
In my Body and in my Mind
My work brings the food to my table
...and pays for my game
And my game brings the food for my soul
Therefore, I am my work and my game"
Ferry R. Tan – 2020
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