East Hampton Artist And Green Explorer Billy Strong Takes On Torajan Death-And Orangutans - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1336500

East Hampton Artist And Green Explorer Billy Strong Takes On Torajan Death--And Orangutans

icon 9 Photos

author on Mar 13, 2017

More and more artists are determined to turn the world’s garbage into something good. East Hampton landscaper Billy Strong is at the forefront of the movement: He has traveled the world as the “Green Explorer,” making art from debris, to help himself, others and even Mother Earth heal from trauma.Last year, he visited the Galapagos Island of Isabela and helped bring attention to the trash that is washing up on the beaches, even in places untouched by humans.

Last spring, after reading the National Geographic article “When Death Doesn’t Mean Goodbye,” about the Torajan people of Tana Toraja and Toraja Utara on the island Sulawesi in Indonesia, Mr. Strong dreamed of visiting the exotic land and connecting with its people through his artwork.

It took 16 flights and six weeks, but his “almost impossible dream” became a reality. He had accomplished something that had never been done before—and that’s just the way the Green Explorer likes it.

Unlike most Indonesians, who are Muslim, Torajans combine Christianity, brought to the island by the Dutch, and their native religion, Aluk To Dolo, or “Way of the Ancestors.” It is their traditions surrounding death that prompted the National Geographic article, and piqued his interest.

“Until the family can give their loved ones a proper burial, they keep them, embalmed, in the house,” said Mr. Strong, sipping a beer at the Service Station in Wainscott.

Dead family members are kept in the house for as long as several years, depending on how much money they have, or they may wait for family members to travel to Sulawesi from faraway lands. “They wait for everybody to get back and organize that part of the funeral,” Mr. Strong said.

When they happen, funerals are big affairs; some can finish in a day, but others last a week. Surrounding villages each bring a water buffalo to be sacrificed. Pigs are sacrificed too, and cooked inside bamboo shoots. During the ceremonies, everyone eats well. Gifts of cigarettes, food and tea are given to guests.

The size of the sacrifices and the funeral itself establishes the family’s status in society. Slaughters take place in the village square, and the more water buffalo horns a home displays, the higher their status.

Mr. Strong attended two funerals during his trip—but that is not why he went to Sulawesi. He wanted to visit the homes of families who had loved ones who had died but were still awaiting funerals. His goal was to work with the families, using art to ease the transition from life to death.

While listening to stories of the deceased, thanks to his driver’s translating skills, Mr. Strong made sculptures from belongings of the deceased, sometimes taken right from their coffins.

Accomplishing his goals was not easy. It’s a long journey to the “people of the uplands.” Once in Sulawesi, Mr. Strong took a 10-hour drive from Makassar, through “amazing landscapes,” to Rantepao, a village in Tana Toraja that served as his base. He was able to gain the trust of two families before they allowed him into their homes.

“A local driver made some calls and found a few people willing to see what I was up to. It was not easy,” Mr. Strong said. “It’s amazing that they agreed to let me into their ceremony.”

He found his way to Sule Banna, an 80-year-old man who had died two years ago in a rice field. He had nine children and 22 grandchildren. His widow, La’Ritu, gave Mr. Strong a flip-flop, a shirt, a hat and bamboo from their yard. While listening to tales of Sule Banna hunting wild boar, Mr. Strong made his first sculpture. The man’s son Lucas was especially taken with the gesture.

Mr. Strong was welcomed into a second home by Martina Rabi’s 11 grandchildren on a Sunday. Ms. Rabi was 70 years old when she died three months prior. She loved animals and ate mostly vegetarian. The only fish she ate came from “her” lake and never from the sea. Again, Mr. Strong was given a pair of flip-flops, a shirt that said “love” and some wood from the yard for his artwork.

The Torajan people consider death to be like sleeping, and in that respect the artist concluded that they must have a hard time releasing their loved ones. “The idea of focusing more as trauma therapy grabbed me,” he said. “If I can make something to help release them, I’ve definitely accomplished something.”

He doesn’t know what happened to the sculptures once he left the families. He hoped that the families would keep the sculptures in remembrance, or bury them with the body. “I wasn’t there telling anybody what to do. I was there to give them a gift,” he said.

Once the souls are released and the elaborate funerals are over, Torajans are buried into the hillside. A crypt is carved into boulders, some the size of mansions, dating back to ancient times. Today, bones spill out of ancient coffin caves.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom: Mr. Strong balanced his trip with lively schoolchildren. “I tried to be a good ambassador and present myself as a ‘nice’ American, and they opened up to me,” he said. “If you can reach kids, things can be changed in a generation or two. Not all Americans are scary.”

Mr. Strong learned some lessons about Muslims too. “I realized I was wrong about a lot,” he said. “The Muslims I met were just as afraid of terrorists as I was.”

His trip took a scary turn on a prop plane to Borneo, another island in Indonesia and the fourth-largest island in the world, where a population of orangutans reside along a river. It was difficult enough to find the primates, so he stopped at a school to make the last sculpture of his journey.

Using “the universal language of smiling and joking around” to communicate with the students, he fashioned an orangutan out of debris, using the obligatory flip-flop as the primate’s face, vinyl flooring as the skin, and bamboo for legs.

He planned to give the flip-flop orangutan to a real orangutan in the jungle, but the chances of finding one was looking slim by the end of his trip. Primates or no primates, that leg of the trip sounded more like heaven: He rented a three-level boat for himself, with a crew of four, including the captain, a navigator, guide and cook and tooled down the jungle river.

“Dude, this is going to be a miracle if this happens,” the guide told him.

In heaven, miracles happen all the time. On his last day there, a former “king,” a male orangutan about 40 years old, emerged from the bush. It turned out the ranger and he were old friends.

Mr. Strong was able to hand the orangutan the artwork. The animal observed his “mini-me” intently, then gently laid it on the ground.

This time, Mr. Strong kept the sculpture.

You May Also Like:

Leigh Bardugo Comes to Sag Harbor Books for Book Signing, Meet and Greet

Growing up, best-selling author Leigh Bardugo always knew she wanted to be a writer, but ... 11 Jul 2025 by Hope Hamilton

Springs Artist Fitzhugh Karol Debuts Outdoor Sculpture Show at Duck Creek

The Arts Center at Duck Creek will present “Fitzhugh Karol: On the Grounds,” a site-specific ... 8 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

La Goulue Sur Mer Arrives in Southampton, With a Dash of Chaos and a Side of Style

“Is it true?” said the anxious DM on my Instagram account. “Is La Goulue really ... by Steven Stolman

Art on a Line: Guild Hall’s Clothesline Sale Hangs Tough for 2025

Guild Hall’s beloved Clothesline Art Sale returns on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The annual event, a Hamptons tradition since 1946, transforms the museum’s lawn into a sea of original artwork — hung on clotheslines — and offers visitors the chance to purchase local art at accessible prices. Jackson Pollock once sold a painting at the sale for $250, and past participants have included Lee Krasner, Alfonso Ossorio, Elaine and Willem de Kooning and other art-world icons. The event continues to offer a rare opportunity for the public to view and purchase work by East End ... by Staff Writer

The Climate-Friendly Fitness Routine

“Live simply so that others might simply live” — Mahatma Gandhi The first time I ... by Jenny Noble

Joy Behar Gets the Last Laugh in ‘My First Ex-Husband' at Bay Street Theater, July 14-19

Emmy Award-winning comedian and co-host of “The View,” Joy Behar stars in “My First Ex-Husband,” a bold, funny and heartfelt new play based on true stories from her life. The limited engagement runs July 14 through 19, at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. With razor-sharp wit and no filters, “My First Ex-Husband” explores the messy, hilarious truths of love, sex and relationships. Adapted from Behar’s personal experiences, the show is both deeply personal and widely relatable. Behar will appear on stage on July 14, 18 and 19. Also appearing nightly, July 14 through 19, are Veanne Cox, a Tony-nominated ... by Staff Writer

Experience the Rhythms of Brazil With Nilson Matta’s Voyage Quartet

Grammy-nominated bassist Nilson Matta will lead his Brazilian Voyage Quartet at The Church on Friday, July 25, at 6 p.m. The concert is part of Hamptons JazzFest. The group features acclaimed guitarist Chico Pinheiro and offers a rich exploration of samba, bossa nova and modern Brazilian jazz. Matta, a founding member of the renowned Trio da Paz and longtime collaborator with Yo-Yo Ma on the Grammy-winning “Obrigado Brazil” project, is known for blending traditional Brazilian rhythms with contemporary jazz. His lyrical bass playing and deep rhythmic connection have earned him international acclaim. Guitarist Chico Pinheiro, recognized as a leading voice ... by Staff Writer

At the Galleries for July 10, 2025

Montauk The Depot Art Gallery, at the Montauk railroad station at the corner of Flamingo ... by Staff Writer

Round and About for July 10, 2025

Fireworks Shelter Island Fireworks The Shelter Island fireworks will be held on Saturday, July 12, ... by Staff Writer

Curtis Institute of Music Alumni and Faculty To Perform in East Hampton on July 22

Talented alumni and faculty from the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music will tour the East Coast this summer, with a concert scheduled for Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton. The event is presented by Music for Montauk. The program features beloved melodies ranging from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” to works by Brahms and de Falla. Performers include mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg, violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen, pianist Hanchien Lee, and Curtis Institute President and violist Roberto Díaz. The concert program includes: Manuel de Falla’s “Suite Populaire Espagnole,” performed by Díaz (viola) and Lee (piano); ... by Staff Writer