New Design Ideas

Wayang is one of Indonesia’s oldest cultural traditions and it is renowned for its remarkable ability to adapt and endure through changing times. This article investigates the problem of ambiguity in the visual representation of the Punakawan characters in Indonesian wayang. Using a qualitative method, this study proposes and applies 'regional visual idiolect analysis' as its primary theoretical and methodological framework. Through a comparative case study of seven regional gagrak (styles) of Punakawan and an in-depth semiotic analysis of the figure of Semar, this research yields two main findings. First, visual diversity is not deviation, but a coherent expression of distinct 'regional visual idiolects', each correlating with a local cultural ethos. Second, ambiguity, both internal (contradictions within a single figure) and idiolectic (differences between gagrak) is a core, structurally built feature designed to produce 'multiplied meaning'. The paper concludes that the visual idiolect concept is a vital cultural mechanism that allows wayang to simultaneously preserve philosophical tradition and adapt to local identities.