Nyai Roro Kidul (Queen of the Southern Ocean): Re-imagined.

Nyai Roro Kidul. The legendary sea deity of southern Java.

The legend of Nyai Roro Kidul, a Javanese sea deity has always held a fascination for me ever since I visited the coastal town of Pelabuhan Ratu and surrounding area in 2003. Although the myth is centuries old, Nyai Roro Kidul still wields profound influence over the people along the southern Java coast where she is celebrated with an annual holiday and a room at one of the local resorts is set aside exclusively for her. Local fishermen offer gifts ranging from agricultural produce to fabrics and even cosmetics in the hope gaining the favour of receiving sizable hauls and fair weather.  

My first artistic attempt at portraying Nyai Roro Kidul resulted in a pencil drawing completed in August 2015. In this rendering, she is rising out of the surf against a threatening cloud-laden sky, symbolic of her unpredictable nature and the immense powers of nature at her disposal. This was followed in 2020 by a colourised version of the drawing as I transitioned into digital art.

The latest version of Nyai Roro Kidul marks a significant shift away from the original dramatic portrayal where colder colours of blues and greys dominated the scene. Here, a palette of warmer colours has been used to depict a calm sky at sunset, almost free of any clouds. The sea is relatively calm with rolling waves that flow around her and the use of blues and greys has been minimised to contrast the reflected light off the water.

A few changes have been made to her attire as she wearing an ornate silk Kemben, a length of fabric traditionally worn by women across Indonesia that wraps around the torso.

Title: Nyai Roro Kidul (Queen of the Southern Ocean ) Re-imagined.

Completed: October 2024.

Digital painting using Sketchbook Pro on Macbook Air.

Featured tattoo design by Harryarts