The design of Bawah Reserve began with a commitment to preserve the natural character of the islands. Architecture, interiors and landscaping were carefully considered to sit lightly within the surroundings, drawing on local craftsmanship, natural materials and the marine life found throughout the reserve.
While the overall aesthetic was intentionally understated, each of Bawah’s main spaces was anchored by a distinctive sculptural installation—something beautiful and unexpected that would also tell a story.
Designer Boon Sim established two guiding principles for the collection: each piece should be whimsical and inspired by the sea, while also celebrating Indonesian craftsmanship.
Rather than commissioning established international artists, simple sketches and ideas were shared with local craftspeople and students. Using materials including wire mesh, rope, fishing line, driftwood and reclaimed fishing nets, they transformed these concepts into some of Bawah Reserve's most recognisable works of art.
Here are the stories behind five of the installations guests discover around the island.
Where: Treetops Restaurant
With its soaring latticed bamboo roof and views across the lagoon, Treetops is already a remarkable piece of architecture. The challenge was to introduce artwork that would complement the space without competing with it.
The solution was to turn the lighting itself into art.
Boon sketched a collection of curved, organic forms resembling a bloom of jellyfish. The pieces were designed to move gently in the breeze, creating subtle movement and sound beneath the bamboo canopy.
Local craftspeople brought his drawings to life, creating the illuminated swarm that now appears to float above the restaurant. The installation has become one of Bawah’s most recognisable design features. Condé Nast Travellerdescribed it as “a swarm of jellyfish chandeliers…strung across the dining room.”
The finished installation became so closely associated with Bawah that smaller interpretations were later created for the Tented Beach Suites.
Where: Jules Verne Bar
Inspired by the imaginative underwater world of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, an enormous wire-mesh octopus stretches its tentacles across the ceiling of Bawah’s intimate Jules Verne Bar.
The Financial Times described Bawah’s interiors as being “full of winking references to marine life,” highlighting the “mammoth wire-mesh octopus installation at the Jules Verne bar.”
Creating and installing the sculpture beneath the bamboo roof was no small feat. Working with art students from Bandung University, the team constructed the giant octopus with long, slender tentacles that appear to float above the bar.
The original plan was to wrap its wooden form in rattan, but once the beautiful metal mesh structure took shape, it seemed a shame to conceal it. The design was left uncovered, allowing the craftsmanship and sculptural quality of the material to become part of the artwork itself.
Where: Grouper Bar
World Travel Magazine noted that the Grouper Bar is easily “identified by the giant grouper sculpture made from driftwood.”
As Bawah’s main pool bar and a natural gathering place, it felt fitting to create its defining artwork from driftwood—ordinary branches shaped by the ocean and transformed into something beautiful.
During Bawah’s construction, designer Boon and owner Tim Hartnoll spent extended periods on the island, often buying fresh fish from local fishermen. Inspired by the forms and textures of the fish in their baskets, Boon sketched a grouper—a species commonly found in Bawah’s lagoon—and shared the design with an artist in Java, who brought the sculpture to life.
Within three weeks, a mock-up was created, and this sculpture was commissioned.
Where: Bawah Reserve’s jetty #jettygram
Guests arriving at Bawah are greeted by a school of flying fish suspended above the junction of the main jetty.
Inspired by the fish that skim across the surface of the surrounding lagoons, the installation is both sculptural and practical. Each patinated brass fish sits on a pivot, turning with the breeze to indicate the direction of the wind.
The piece began as a simple sketch from Boon and was crafted by a metalworker in a village in Java. Playful, functional and connected to its setting, the weather vane captures the spirit behind much of Bawah’s design.
Where: Six Islands Trading Post
One of Bawah’s most meaningful installations can be found inside the Six Islands Trading Post: a school of illuminated reef fish created from discarded fishing nets removed from Bawah’s house reef.
Lost and abandoned fishing nets can become entangled around coral and pose a serious threat to marine life. Once recovered from the reef, sections of the netting were cleaned and repurposed, giving the material an entirely new life.
The nets were shaped by local craftsmen into a suspended school of fish, each form illuminated from within. Together, they create a striking installation that appears to swim through the space.
The artwork is a particularly fitting addition to the Six Islands Trading Post, where guests can discover thoughtfully selected products and locally made pieces. More than a decorative feature, the lights connect craftsmanship with conservation, transforming something harmful to the reef into a reminder of the marine environment we work to protect.
Bawah’s sculptural art is inseparable from its surroundings. Each piece reflects something found here: the movement of jellyfish, the reach of an octopus, the shape of a grouper, flying fish moving across the water or a school of reef fish beneath the surface.
Together, the installations tell a wider story of imagination, Indonesian craftsmanship and respect for nature. They also demonstrate how simple and reclaimed materials can become something memorable when placed in the hands of talented makers.
Look out for these pieces as you explore Bawah Reserve—or join one of our architectural tours to learn more about the ideas, materials and people behind the island’s design.
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