Rasi singkong as a creation of painting artworks

Abstract

Rasi Singkong is one of the traditional tourist attractions of Cireundeu Village, which is a tourist destination in Cimahi City, West Java. The name of Cireundeu Village comes from ‘pohon rendeu’ that used to grow abundantly in the area. Cassava is an alternative staple food for the people of Cireundeu Village, most of whom work as cassava farmers. This tradition began as a form of resistance against Dutch colonialism, which seized the local community’s harvest. In the struggle for independence, they needed a source of energy in the form of food. Therefore, the ancestors changed their staple food from rice to cassava. Cassava has been a staple food in Cireundeu Village since 1918. Visually, the rasi singkong resembles rice grains but is made from cassava tubers. The texture and taste are similar to rice, but they differ in color; cassava rice is brown. The visual experiment and characteristics of the Rasi Singkong tradition have great potential for the creation of mixed media paintings with cassava as the main ingredient. This artwork was created using a go-green and resistance-based approach. The findings of this research and creative process reveal concerns about the current lack of public awareness of the nutritional value of Rasi Singkong. The lack of innovation in processing visual cassava-based foods makes it less attractive, as its variations are often considered monotonous and less attractive than modern cassava dishes in terms of appearance.