THE LAST BREATH OF THE PRINCE — Diego Zapatero — Self-published — 2026

A new handmade incarnation of Zapatero’s long-term study of Java’s endangered Wayang Topeng tradition. Working with surviving dance communities, he reconstructs scenes from the Panji cycle using deliberately antiquated photographic methods, slow exposures and staged theatrical settings. This second series turns the book itself into an object: sepia-toned photographs are individually mounted on black pages and paired with translucent sheets carrying mask drawings, while archival imagery and cartography connect contemporary performers to the colonial photographic record.

Technical Sheet
Title: THE LAST BREATH OF THE PRINCE
Artist / Author: Diego Zapatero
Date: 2026
Publisher: DIEGO ZAPATERO