Rio Wedayana is a photographer born and raised in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village, one of Bali’s ancient indigenous villages. For Rio, photography is not merely an artistic practice, it is a lifelong mission to safeguard memory, identity, and cultural continuity.
Growing up within the strong customary system of Tenganan, Rio experienced firsthand the unique rhythm of village life, structured by ancestral laws, communal responsibilities, sacred rituals, and a deep relationship with nature. Unlike life outside the village, being a native of Tenganan Pegringsingan means carrying collective duties to sustain traditions that have been preserved for centuries. These lived experiences shape Rio’s perspective behind the camera.
Through his lens, Rio documents the village’s rituals, ceremonies, daily life, and the subtle gestures that define the way of Tenganan Pegringsingan people. His photographs are not staged spectacles for tourism; they are intimate records created from within the community. In the midst of rapid tourism development in Bali, his work stands as a quiet act of cultural resilience, preserving stories that might otherwise fade.
Beyond creating new visual archives, Rio is also on a personal mission to collect and digitize old photographs scattered among village elders. These fragile images hold invaluable traces of Tenganan’s past, moments of change, forgotten events, and pieces of history that may fill gaps in the village’s collective memory. By gathering and safeguarding these photographs, he hopes to reconnect generations and rediscover lost narratives of his homeland.
Tenganan Pegringsingan Village is known as one of Bali’s ancient villages that continues to uphold its customary laws, protect its surrounding forest, and preserve its distinctive culture amidst modern pressures. As part of a broader commitment to sustainable futures, the village is also among the founding members of the Village Ecotourism Network (JED Bali), collaborating with other communities across Bali to ensure that development does not erase nature and heritage.