ROOTS

Kayon means “Tree of Life” in Indonesian. The Kayon is an archetypical symbol in Indonesian tradition that is used in a ceremony called Wayang Kulit, the tradition of shadow puppets.

According to the belief system of the region, we are all puppets in thisworld being led by an invisible “Puppet master”. In the Wayang Kulit, the puppet itself represents form while the shadow represents the soul. It is
the soul that is believed to be the most important part of existence and the interaction of life forms. Therefore, the shadow is the focus of the plays.

In traditional puppet shows, puppet masters, or dalangs, reenact stories and epics, not only controlling the puppet performance but also singing in four different languages and arranging the lighting, usually produced with oil lamps. The dalang's position also requires great endurance, as the Wayang Kulit ceremony generally lasts three to six hours.

The shadow representation of the Kayon in the Wayang Kulit plays a significant role in Indonesian moral and spiritual instruction as it is meant to symbolize the life force ascending from earth to the heavens. The name Kayon comes from the word kayu, "wood."

Kayon started with a global project (Kayon R.O.A.), which is dedicated, but not limited, to helping the victims of the tsunami disaster. While we plan to expand our efforts beyond the support of those that were affected by the tsunami, we have decided that in honor and remembrance of the lives lost in the disaster, we would chose a name relevant to the region in which the tsunami took place since the seed of Kayon was planted with this effort at heart.