Dressed in dalang (puppeteer) attire, comprising loose lurik shirt, kain jarik (traditional Javanese cloth) and blangkon (traditional Javanese hat), Gibran then sat crossed-legged on the floor.

When the camera rolled, Gibran moved his wayang and spoke a dialogue in Javanese. There was no stage lighting to dim nor a gamelan set, but his very brief performance brought life to the Post’s studio.

Gibran, who is also known as Ki Kawipujo Permadi, is a young dalang. Last year he performed Nakula Sadewa Murca at the Wayang Museum in West Jakarta to celebrate National Wayang Day.

The Gen-Z dalang seems to embrace Indonesian cultural heritage both on and off stage. On Instagram, he frequently shares about his activities and stories on wayang, piquing people’s curiosity about the traditional puppet show.

While most people his age are still unsure about their career choices, Gibran has always known that he wanted to be a dalang. His mother, Indonesian filmmaker Nia Dinata, introduced him to wayang when he was in junior high school.

“[At that time], I questioned the existence of God,” he recalled. “My mother asked me to accompany her to see the Satu Suro [Javanese New Year] celebration in Yogyakarta and I watched wayang.”

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