The Ramayana epic tells the stories of Prince Rama's battle with the wicked giant Rahwana.  As a winding tale with many different characters, it is often performed in two forms of dance with the first called the Kecak or "Monkey Dance" and the other being a ballet.  When performed as a ballet, the epic is spread out with a few performances over a few days to encompass the whole scope of the story.  The gist of the story is that Rahwana kidnaps and tries to marry Sita, the wife of Rama.  Kumbakarna is the brother of Rahwana, whom he attempts to aid in keeping Sita from being rescued.  Despite their ferocity, both he and his brother are defeated by Rama and his monkey army. 

The importance of the Ramayana to Bali culture cannot be underestimated.  Many of the streets of Bali's capital city of Denpasar are named after characters in the epic, and most of Bali's artisans are based in the city.  The figure of Kumbakarna is a favorite figure for these artists.  He is typically represented as having a fierce, tusked mouth and a long tongue, large, round, black eyes, and a sun-like flames emerging from the top of his head. 

Masks of Kumbakarna's face are becoming more and more popular throughout the art world, as collectors search for an imposing figure to place in their collection.  Handcrafted wooden masks are produced by many different artists, and the subtle differences given by each artist's interpretation make for interesting comparisons.  One of the best places to find images of Kumbakarna is at the Museum Bali in Denpasar.  

The art center in Abiankas also features many different pieces of art relating to the Ramayana.  Another favorite medium for displaying aspects of Kumbakarna is painting.  There are several famous paintings depicting Kumbakarna's struggle against Rama's monkey army, and prints of these paintings are proving to be popular with people all over the world.