Bali, Framed by Intimate Locales, Nostalgia, and Newness

Around the locales of Bali, Indonesia, Kenza Le Bas and Mirelle Aurelia find glimmers of the culturally nostalgic and new.

Like the Philippines, Indonesia is an archipelagic nation. Though its exact number of islands remains subject to debate (counts have ranged from 13,466 to 18,307; in 2017, Condé Nast Traveler published a lighthearted story titled “Indonesia Doesn’t Know How Many Islands It Has”), what remains uncontested is the tropical archipelago’s rich culture. 

Seventeen years ago, for instance, Indonesian Batik, the technique- and symbolism-heavy art of hand-dyed cotton and silk garments, was inscribed in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Indonesian high-craft designer Biyan has been prolific since the ’90s, with his works being carried in New York and London. Just last year, CN Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards listed Bali as one of the best islands in Asia, alongside Phu Quoc in Vietnam and Siargao in the Philippines.

Today, it seems as though ancestral heritage has never been more celebrated. While there remains a long road ahead for mainstream Southeast Asian representation, it’s worth celebrating how far it’s come. Patriotism manifests in different ways; for Angelita Nurhadi, the Indonesian fashion designer behind the brand Studio Jeje, her culture’s sacred traditions reveal themselves in a myriad of mundane ways. “Indonesian, especially Javanese, culture has always been part of my daily life, so it naturally informs the way I see, feel, and create,” she told Vogue in an earlier conversation. “Ordinary moments I encounter in everyday life often already contain tradition within them, even if they don’t appear ceremonial at first glance. This is why I believe tradition is not separate from modern life, but embedded in it.”

For others, pride is reinforced by instances of being seen in larger contexts. That includes world stages like the Olympics, where Indonesian speed climber Veddriq Leonardo made history in 2024 by winning gold in the inaugural men’s speed-climbing event. At 4.75 seconds, his finish set a world record. In film, the forthcoming animated adventure-fantasy Forgotten Island from DreamWorks Animation draws from Philippine mythology, with directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado at the helm alongside a predominantly Filipino cast and crew.

It’s only natural that these achievements might instigate an itch to more deeply explore one’s roots, to finally ask the question, “Where did I come from, and how did it make me?” 

This was certainly the case for French photographer Kenza Le Bas, who spent a significant part of her childhood in Indonesia, after her family moved when she was eight months old. Growing up in Bali, her earliest memories include picking up a camera at 14 years old, capturing “the incredible beauty of Balinese culture. The ceremonies, the offerings, the vibrant colors, the textiles, the flowers. Looking back, I realize that this environment naturally influenced my artistic eye. It taught me to appreciate beauty, symbolism, and emotion long before photography became my career.”

Now based in Paris, Kenza intimates that moving away only strengthened her appreciation for her childhood environment, which she felt compelled to revisit more intentionally. Her return to Bali earlier this year was marked by both nostalgia and newness, and a drive “to celebrate a culture that has given me so much creatively and personally.”

This desire was shared by Mirelle Aurellia, the Yogyakarta-born model who served as the muse for Kenza’s homecoming project. Mirelle moved to Jakarta when she was 17, but returns to her hometown periodically to catch a break from the fast-paced life in the Indonesian capital. “Being home, spending time with my family, and enjoying my favorite local food always makes me feel recharged,” she shares fondly. Like Kenza, Mirelle’s fondest memories of youth involve the great outdoors, “spending time in the mountains with my family. I always enjoyed the beautiful views and the fresh air.”

Together, the two, who met for the first time on set, invite us to experience their home not through tourist hotspots, but rather through intimate locales. Their story unfolds in Tenganan, one of Bali’s oldest and most preserved traditional villages, where a central temple stands as a symbol of spirituality, community, and ancestral heritage. They take us to a pasar bunga or flower market, where Kenza references the Balinese Hindu tradition of Canang Sari: the daily practice of weaving flowers into small palm leaf baskets as a gratitude offering to spiritual gods.

Present too is the quintessential warung or family-run streetside shop or eatery, similar to a Philippine tindahan or karinderya. They pay homage to traditional salt farming in the village of Kusamba, and even include a tribute to the kebaya, the UNESCO-recognized traditional upper garment worn across Southeast Asia. In a striking image, a violet lace top is worn with a pair of earrings that, while not intended by Spanish designer Juana Martin, might call to mind the Balinese ceremonial headpiece or crown called the gelungan. Behind Mirelle is a kain prada, or decorative textile, that was traditionally made with gold leaf but is now made with gold pigments via silkscreen printing.

Collectively, these elements capture a nuanced snapshot of Kenza and Mirelle’s homeland, which they took intentional steps to honor.

“I think what makes Indonesia so unique is its diversity,” Mirelle says. “Every region has its own culture, traditions, and identity, so every place has something different to offer. I think many people would be surprised by how beautiful it is.”   

By TICIA ALMAZAN. Photographs by KENZA LE BAS. Styling by CHARLOTTE NEUWELS. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Model: Mirelle Aurellia at Balitar Models. Hair and Makeup: Deborah Brider. Local Production: Thierry Robinet.