Jake Paul White’s Sumba Series is a slow, honest dive into a place where time stretches and stories wait.
Sumba, Indonesia, is a land of raw beauty, where rolling green hills meet golden savannas under skies painted with fiery sunsets. For those enchanted by Indonesian culture, this island stirs a deep wanderlust, a call to explore its vibrant landscapes and ancient traditions.
In early 2025, British artist Jake Paul White answered that call during a residency at Cap Karoso. It was there he created the Sumba Series – a collection of paintings that capture the island’s spirit through natural pigments and intuitive brushstrokes.
White’s work is an invitation to discover Sumba’s unique contribution to the country’s diversity.
A Wanderer’s Path to Art
Jake Paul White, born in 1990 in the UK to an Indian mother and English father, was effectively born into the nomadic lifestyle. His childhood, shaped by a military family, meant moving across three countries and attending six schools by just age fifteen.
Diagnosed with dyslexia at ten, he found his voice and expression through art, where texture and color spoke when words could not.
After studying fine art and printmaking, White’s life took unexpected turns: performing as a slackliner across Europe, teaching yoga worldwide, and founding a creative studio that designed for various wellness brands.
Among the lucky few, the pandemic caught him in Bali, where he still lives.
A six-month apprenticeship at a Balinese pottery house rekindled his passion for painting, grounding him in the tactile rhythm of natural materials. White’s art, collected globally, uses dyes like indigo, clay, and tea to create soft, layered works that feel alive.
His paintings don’t demand attention – rather they invite quiet, subtle connection to those who see the true purpose in his work.
Sumba’s Call
From April to May of 2025, White spent a three weeks artist residency at Cap Karoso in Sumba, surrounded by its landscapes and culture.
“The residency profoundly influenced my work and process,” he shares.
“Working with natural pigments and dyes sourced from the island – such as sirih (betel leaf), pinang (betel nut), and kapur (limestone) – deepened my sensitivity to materiality and the unpredictability inherent in natural elements.”
This birthed the Sumba Series, a collection that weaves nature’s vibrant colors into every canvas.
White used local materials like mahogany bark for red-browns, taramanu wood for yellows, and yay mall wood for deep reds – pigments tied to Sumbanese traditions and herbal medicine.
Through staining, soaking, and pouring, he let the materials guide him, creating paintings that echo Sumba’s rolling hills and sacred rituals.
The series explores change, healing, and belonging, resonating with people who feel Indonesia’s pull.
Each piece is a snapshot of Sumba’s soul, inviting viewers to wander its landscapes through color and texture.
Painting with Nature
Working with Sumba’s natural pigments came with its own challenges. Humidity and preparation methods made colors unpredictable, requiring constant experimentation. “Achieving the right balance of saturation and translucency took patience,” White says.
Sourcing materials respectfully, while honoring local traditions and sustainability, was equally important to his approach. These challenges shaped his process, teaching him to embrace the nuances of each material used.
The result is a series that feels organic, with an obvious influence of the island’s spirit in the final works.
Sumba’s culture left a deep impression. The people’s harmony with their land and traditions – rooted in deep respect for nature and ritual – mirrored White’s own approach to art.
This connection infused the Sumba Series with a sense of place, making it a tribute to Indonesia’s cultural depth.
For those who love the archipelago’s heritage, these paintings are an exploration and appreciation of its diversity.
The Sumba Series is a homage to Sumba and Indonesia.
Its earthy reds, vivid yellows, and lush greens capture the island’s untamed beauty, stirring curiosity in anyone who dreams of exploring its hills and villages. White’s paintings invite art lovers to feel the pulse of Indonesian culture, from its vibrant landscapes to its quiet rituals.
They’re a call to pack a bag, wander Sumba’s paths, and let its colors linger in your mind.
White’s work is a reminder of the archipelago’s magic.
His Sumba Series blends art and wanderlust, offering a glimpse of an island where nature and tradition intertwine, as if looking through a lens to the past.
These paintings beckon you to explore Sumba and the many other, often overlooked, islands among the Indonesian archipelago.
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The Sumba Series is a homage to Sumba and Indonesia.
About the Artist
With an ever-evolving palette and process, Jake enjoys experimenting with new materials and techniques, allowing the canvas to become a space for contemplation, presence, and poetic tension.
Contact Jake
Instagram: jake_paul_white
EMAIL hello@jakepaulwhite.com
Visit his website for more
www.jakepaulwhite.com
The Venue
The Artist residency was held at Cap Karoso in Sumba.
The heart of Cap Karoso is its biological farm. Covering three hectares of rehabilitated land, the farm produces nearly all the fruits and vegetables they use in their restaurant and bar.
Instagram: cap_karoso
Visit their website for more
capkaroso.com
English