BALI ART WORDS
ARMA Museum and Resort, Ubud June 2019
Drawing on Tradition:
The beauty of rooted liberation
Tradition is defined as the transmission of long-established customs and beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation and often includes both the framework for and content of symbolic meanings.
Any tradition will of course undergo slight changes over time according to conditions, situations, and necessities. How far the basic tenants, symbols, practices, or forms of tradition can be changed or developed before they cease to be considered part of the same lineage is of course debatable and depends on which aspect of a given tradition is considered essential. How tightly the conventions of a given tradition can be held, or how strictly its means of expression are enforced before its value is extinguished under the weight of mere habit is also debatable.
What is certain is that Bali has an extremely deep well of artistic traditions that covers a wide range of formal, conceptual, contextual, functional, and even calendric aspects of both its forms and functions. In the particular context of Balinese cultural traditions, what is commonly referred to as art is the fact an integrated part of an overarching way of seeing and being in the world that includes agriculture, architecture, religion, fashion, mythology, and more. It is not clear where art begins and ends. Also, all these aspects of life are so interrelated that it is hard to say exactly what it is that holds them together, defines their ‘traditionalness’, or even what could pose a threat to the integrity of what we call Balinese tradition.
While there are certainly agreed-upon norms that serve to distinguish ‘traditional art’, from what is broadly termed ‘modern art, we should not be mistaken in thinking that they are altogether unrelated, nor, however, that their relationship is always clear. While traditional art in Bali tends to be defined by its communal and religious functions, such contextualizing is not entirely accurate given how interrelated Balinese religious practices are with all other aspects of life. Likewise to place ‘modern art within the context of its economic or individual functions is also not entirely accurate for the same and other reasons. Though admittedly certain types of ‘art’ are distinctly traditional in that they are created according to, within the context, and for the purpose of clearly structured traditions.
But for now, let us simply consider that the 6 artists whose works make up this exhibition deliberately approach their creative process with a certain freedom that is found outside of the strict conventions that define tradition but that they are nonetheless also deliberately drawing on tradition.
While it might be argued that all Balinese artists are influenced by some aspect of their cultural traditions in one way or another, these particular artists have each deliberately chosen to draw out a specific aspect of tradition upon which they each develop a more personal and expansive form or expression. For these 6 artists, tradition is not a nebulous influence, nor a container for their expressions, but instead a specific source of inspiration from which they draw.
Because the tradition from which they have drawn their inspiration includes a wide range of formal and conceptual aspects, they are offered many possibilities for expanding on or adhering to any number of these formal and/or conceptual elements or frameworks. What is particularly interesting about these 6 artists is how they have each found a way to draw on tradition without depending, nor specifically commenting, on it.
Instead, in their natural appreciation for one aspect or another of Balinese traditions, they venture boldly into uncharted territory, trusting that the traditional element they carry with them will serve them well. Because these elements are not being used out of convention nor as a convenient device, but simply because each of these artists feels their value, the power of these elements remains somehow intact -albeit perhaps serving a slightly different purpose.
Indeed none of these painters are seeking to create traditional artworks in new forms. There is no intention of replacing existing traditional art practices with the concepts and forms they are developing, nor do they intend to comment on some aspect of tradition. Instead, in response to their own particular conditions, thoughts feelings, skills and intentions they each draw on tradition as a way to navigate their way towards deeper self-expression.
Given that traditions are after all the consequence of the human need for meaningful ways of being in the world and artists are after all on the front lines of discovering new ways of interpreting and expressing meaning, it is not surprising to find these two practices converging. What is surprising is the way these artists are drawing on tradition, extracting something they find essential and infusing it with a new life without the pretense of trying to transform tradition or presumption that tradition will provide all the value of their work. Indeed without any context for the traditions, they have drawn upon, each of these works stands in its own right. With a bit of context, however, we come to an even greater appreciation for the full scope of creativity they have brought to their artworks.
It is this creative spirit that gave birth to the tremendous wealth of art traditions of Bali, that allows these traditions to be maintained and passed down from generation to generation and that will no doubt continue to keep Balinese traditions alive in the future. Perhaps these particular forms of this creative spirit provide a glimpse into the direction that the incremental changes to tradition will take down the line. Perhaps they are simply a beautiful example of drawing on tradition.
I Made Sugiada (Anduk)
Unsatisfied with simply replicating the actual visual forms of his surroundings as he saw them or following the conventions of the traditional styles of painting he had learned, Sugiada began to explore what spoke to him about the shapes he was creating. He quickly understood that although he was not drawn to the depth of philosophical meaning embedded in the symbolism of traditional Balinese art, there was something about the compositional style that did. Over time he began to discover that the interconnectedness of all life that this visual space spoke to and about was something he could relate to.
While Sugiada draws on some of the general concepts that inform traditional Balinese philosophy, such as the oneness of nature and man’s place in this unified whole, the importance of recognizing things like plants and the sun as things that allow us to live, there is another element of tradition that is even more pronounced in his life and work.
This adherence to traditional norms speaks to a kind of humility that is inherent to this tradition. Although there is nothing humble about the visual presentation of all things traditional in Bali, the philosophical implications of nearly all aspects of Balinese tradition point to an understanding that our personal greatness is only ever derived from and dependent on those who have come before us and its value determined by the contribution it provides to the whole.
The very fact that he is drawing on tradition for the overall structure of his compositions, technical approach, and in terms of the general themes that he explores in his paintings, indicates that he values something essential about this tradition, perhaps most notably the structure, practices, and philosophical concepts of traditional Balinese culture.
So, although he enlarges and distorts traditional motifs according to his own visual needs and deliberately seeks to develop his own visual language, and allows ambiguous explorations of traditional concepts it is not intended to be confrontational or distortive instead we find a genuine desire to find meaning in his own experience.
Allowing himself to develop his own visual language and deliberately disrupting the harmoniously patterned visual space found in traditional paintings in favor of a presentation of forms that reflects the disruptions to harmony witnessed by current conditions, we find a beautiful kind of tension in his work.
It is as if he were struggling to find new forms to express the universal and timeless harmony that tradition speaks to and of but is forced to confront the lack of harmony that he experiences in the world around him. Reaching for a new space in which to find this harmony we travel with him through this slightly disturbing path that also holds the promise of hope.
I Made Suartama (Bijal)
Having grown up in a village not far from Batuan, Bijal has no doubt been influenced by the style of painting for which Batuan is known, however, this influence is not what it appears. In fact, Bijal first learned to paint at school in Batubulan where the ornament-heavy and densely filled space of the Ubud style was what he practiced. Never having practiced Batuan style painting nor taking particular interest in it, he went on to do an undergraduate degree in art where he learned many styles and techniques ranging from hyperrealism to abstract but found his greatest inspiration from exploring new ways of drawing elements of the natural world around him.
Unsatisfied with simply replicating the actual visual forms of his surroundings as he saw them or following the conventions of the traditional styles of painting he had learned, Bijal began to explore what spoke to him about the shapes he was creating. He quickly understood that although he was not drawn to the depth of philosophical meaning embedded in the symbolism of traditional art, there was something about the compositional style and narrative forms that did.
As he developed his own symbolic language of forms and colors, he actually felt a deeper connection to the language of traditional style paintings particularly the use of visual space with its clearly delineated yet unified forms and the freedom of relative dimensions so distinct of the Batuan style, began to find its way into his works. Without drawing on established narratives per se, he allowed the concept of using narrative to inform his work in a more personal and specific way, not referring to universal concepts but instead to his own lived experience.
Despite venturing distinctly away from traditional images in his works, Bijal deliberately maintains some of the formal elements of traditional painting as a kind of container for the symbolic power they hold. Acknowledging that he does not have a firm understanding of the concepts that underlie, inform, and give meaning to Balinese culture, he dares not venture too far from their visual container of them for fear that all meaning will be lost.
Although Bijal is eager to explore and develop his own visual language in terms of figures, shapes, color, and to a certain extent space, he maintains certain visual conventions of tradition not as a tool but rather as a container.
This adherence to traditional norms speaks to a kind of humility that is inherent to this tradition. Although there is nothing humble about the visual presentation of all things traditional in Bali, the philosophical implications of nearly all aspects of Balinese tradition point to an understanding that our personal greatness is only ever derived from and dependent on those who have come before us and its value determined by the contribution it provides to the whole.
The overall use of visual space for example is certainly derived from tradition, though he does dares to expand this norm by having the visual axis move freely in all directions. While Batuan-style painting, most notably, disrupts the depth of field by disregarding distance between scenes and relative proportions, Bijal takes this a step further by allowing each object in his painting to occupy its space without regard to the horizon of the painting as a whole. This approach to visual space perhaps speaks to the ambiguity of his personal position.
This work in particular tells the story of his experience studying art in the city, returning home every day to his village, and the stark contrast between these two worlds that he felt. The apparent chaos of urban life was unsettling to him but without wanting to judge whether urban conditions are generally healthy or not, he chooses instead to express his own personal experience of it and the relative peace and tranquility he feels in the natural environment of his village.
Despite his personal desire to express his individuality and break away from the strict constraints of the visual norms of tradition and simply allow his feelings to guide him, this desire is tempered by an awareness of his limited understanding and capacity to convey something of value. Rather than creating an entirely new paradigm, Bijal finds that drawing on tradition allows the power it holds to support him as he explores his personal style and opens new avenues of conceptual exploration.
Nyoman Sukariana (Pman)
Bored with the struggle of trying to depict figures and scenes as they appear in reality, Pman turned to idle doodling to release his mind from the tension caused by trying to force his hand to create lines it did not want to create. Looking around he saw the giant square spiral-shaped stapler he used to staple his canvases to frames and tried drawing it as a kind of mindless thing to do. Before he knew it he was doodling spiral-like shapes in infinite lines. He found it oddly satisfying to let his mind drift and fill the page and after page with this intriguing shape that would guide his hand into offshoots and circle back in again.
He noticed that he could create an enlarged version of this shape using smaller iterations of it as a kind of basic pixel. The more he drew these curling lines, the more he started to see this shape and iterations of it in a fractal pattern appearing in the natural world around him; in the branches of a tree or the waves of the ocean, and even in the traditional motifs his older brother would carve.
After exploring this relaxing method of drawing in the painted form he began to remember when he first started painting. Before going to art school and getting caught up in trying to force his hand to paint in specific ways, he had enjoyed learning to paint in the traditional Kamasan style that depicts shadow puppet-like figures of deities. Pman missed having human-like figures in his works, so he tried creating some out of his beloved curly cues but found that they looked awkward. He did not want to start forcing his hand again so he instead drew a very simple outline eventually adding a flame to represent the figure’s genitalia.
He did not know where to place these figures though as they seemed out of place and vulnerable alone amongst the mass of spirals, so he gave them a structure, not unlike the kind of auric field depicted in the Kamasan paintings. Pondering on the symbolic or even physical meaning of the spiral and lone naked figure Pman has yet to fully understand himself, but like the many priests in his family who follow their intuition while attending to their religious duties, so too is Pman trusting that this mediation will reveal to him what he needs to know when he is ready. In the meantime, he is just attending to his duty to create artworks.
I Nyoman Suyadnya
Where there is smoke there is fire, and where there is fire something is being transformed or you could say created. In the Hindu ‘creator, maintainer, destroyer’ trinity of Brahma, Wishnu Siwa, it is is Brama represented by the element of fire who creates, water or Wishnu who maintains and Siwa who destroys so that the new can be created again. While an idea is sparked and brought to life by fire and fire warms us, allowing us to cook and the sun as the great source of fire gives life to plants and thus to humans, fire can also destroy.
Much the same way, time is what allows us to experience life yet it also limits our life. So too the cycles of nature’s elements flowing into one another to create the dance of life, are governed by time, allowed to flourish in their time, and brought to end by time as well. It is as if time were providing the structure in which life can happen.
While the Balinese concept of time and its relation to the cycles and patterns of life and indeed to the nature of life itself is one that is complex, well charted, and referenced in nearly every manifestation of Balinese culture, how it is referenced and its specific function varies according to context. Drawing on tradition, Suyadnya explores this notion of time as a lived experience rather than as a conceptual framework for understanding life. Fire is also part of his lived experience with incense smoke and the wood-burning stove in his home serving to mark the rhythms of time as well.
Dividing the canvas space into equally spaced sectioned-off parts with a smoke pattern filling the entire background, we have both the structure of time and the mystery of creation represented. While there is a consistent rhythm that time follows, each instance has its own unique characteristics. As time marches on unwaveringly, our experience of it is one of constant dynamic flow, sometimes experienced as chaotic, spontaneous, or incongruent yet always following this steady rhythm.
For Suyadnya it is not necessary to use any of the visual elements drawn from traditional art, instead, he draws on tradition as the conceptual lens through which he interprets his experience of life and guides the kinds of things he chooses to express in his artwork. The strange colored shapes in each of the panels of times are an expression of the different perceptions the artist experiences at different moments.
Somewhere in between figurative and abstract, these shapes offer us glimpses into the way we focus on particular objects, feelings, or thoughts at any given moment. These strangely intriguing images appear as if they were fragments of perception viewed under a microscope. Perhaps the lived experience of time might appear from the perspective of timelessness; a series of moments strung together to form a whole somehow, all related in shape color and composition yet also very distinct from one another. In the awkward space between incomprehensible and strangely familiar, Suyadnya is drawing on tradition to express the rhythm of time in a way that pulls him out of its boundaries only to find himself drawn back into them.
Astika Yasa
Using simple objects to represent complex interrelations is the basis of the symbolic rich visual traditions of Bali. Be it in the depth of meaning held within certain motifs or the philosophical teachings represented by mythological characters or even how specific animals are associated with both particular stories and their associated moral teachings as well as the specific function they serve within the cycles of nature, there seems to be no end to the symbolic vocabulary of traditional Balinese culture.
The potential reach of this symbolic vocabulary may indeed be endless given the nature of symbolic language as reflecting the eternal unfolding of creation, and simultaneously eternal yet distinctly patterned unfolding.
The symbolic meanings attached to colors, shapes, and patterns such as in Bali are given further depth by their relative positioning. To the logical-sequential mind, the extent of meanings and scope of their expression is truly bewildering.
In this way, the minimalist, stark and simple image Pak Prof brings to us is deceptively straightforward, obscuring its potentially endless meanings.
Having grown up in rural Tabanan, Yasa had very little exposure to the intricate arts and crafts of other parts of Bali. His surroundings were visually dominated by the shapes of nature, with domesticated animals drawing particular interest as dynamic forces of life.
Although he did witness the finely detailed shapes of the shadow puppets and dance costumes that would appear now and again and, of course, the relatively elaborate visual presentations of offerings and the like, he was not inundated with the ornamental details and symbolically rich meanings of the art of Ubud and Denpasar where he would later study art formally.
What he was inundated with was the social and political tensions transmitted to him through television and through the economic struggles of the farming community in which he grew up. Trying to make sense of the apparent contradiction between his peaceful natural surroundings and the socio-political tensions that loomed, he turned to the symbolic world of Balinese traditions as a tool for understanding the interrelationship of things.
While he had enjoyed making simple drawings of the things around him as a child, later he started seeing these same objects as symbolically significant. While the shape of a cow is attractive in and of itself and provides a source of entertainment or distraction from the monotony of daily village life, he started to see how a cow might also represent a source of income. What had been a kind of member of the community was then turned into a commodity and played into political tensions in the village.
While Yasa was less interested in the particular social dynamics involved than in the overarching attitudes that played into them, he found that the simplest of objects or subjects carried within them a certain symbolic power and took a new approach to his artmaking with this in mind.
In this case, rabbits are brought to the forefront both symbolically and literally. Rendered in a minimalist almost cartoon style, it is not their aesthetic form that is highlighted, instead, it is their symbolic value and how this symbolic value represents something of the human condition.
Rabbits are commonly raised as commodities to be bought and sold as pets. These cute furry animals are neither fierce nor unwieldy and can easily be treated as living dolls to be played with as the owner sees fit. Rabbits are also known to reproduce at a remarkably fast rate and tend to gather in groups making them even more vulnerable to manipulation as commodities. Likewise, humans can be treated in much the same way. It is not so much the fact of turning animals into commodities in itself that interests Yasa but rather how this manipulation reflects human politics.
Setting these simplistically rendered rabbits on a stark background of blue they are removed from their natural environment and stripped of their specific physical attributes and presented as symbols. The purity associated with white and the peaceful tranquility of the color blue maintains our focus on this particular aspect of the subject. As pure beings with a natural right to peaceful tranquility, they are nonetheless subjected to economic principles manipulated through political maneuvering beyond their capacity to comprehend or do anything about.
While Yasa is speaking about social conditions, it is not a critique of any particular situation but more of a commentary on human nature in general. It is this generalized conceptual approach that he is drawing from tradition. The use of animals and color as symbolic elements rather than actual representations is also clearly drawing from tradition, yet equally clear is that he is using these traditional approaches to visual representation in an entirely non-traditional manner.
The coarse manner he uses to depict the rabbits and the chaotic texture of the blue contrast with the symbolic value (purity and peace) of these two elements. It is this contrast of meanings through which he delivers his message rather than in the more direct symbolic means used in traditional Balinese iconographic language.
Indeed it is this discrepancy that he is drawing attention to. While we value rabbits for their soft, kind, and cute nature, we ignore their other qualities like their wildness and desire to live in groups in favor of our own economic or even aesthetic needs. Even their soft kind and cute nature are ignored or taken advantage of in our manipulation of them.
Titian Art Space, Ubud November 2019
I PUTU AAN JUNIARTHA
Haunted in his youth by temple ceremony masks, Juniartha reveals their formal structures in vector grids of the humorous iterations of his own creation. Investigating the difference between formal structure and energetic content and revealing these in visual form is a process of liberating himself from fear of the unseen. Reminiscent of 3D animation techniques and output, we might also question how important the creative process is in terms of communicating feelings.
Waktu kecil Juniartha terhantui sama topeng2 upacara di pura, kemudian dia membonkar structure formalnya pakai garis2 vektor dengan bentuk gaya dia sendiri. Meneliti perbedaan antara strcture formal dan isi energetiknya. Memperlihatkan bentuk visualnya adalah proses untuk membebaskan diri dari ketakutan terhadap yg tidak kelihatan. Gaya teknik dan bentuk animasi 3D jadi pertanayan ttgn kepentingan proses creative terkait penyampaiaan rasa.
I KETUT SUDIARTA
Allowing himself to doodle as he has been doing obsessively since he was a child - without the need to think about conveying his own meaning, has yielded to Sudiarta a source of meaning well beyond what he could construct himself. Retaining certain boundaries like the use of black as a color in itself, and distinct forms as containers have liberated Sudiarta from limited expectations of meaning and allowed this freedom for the viewer.
Sejak dia anak kecil, Sudiarta membierkan obsessinya bercorat coret. Tanpah mikir mau berpesan apa malah menghasilkan arti yg jauh lebih dalam di panding apa dia bisa menciptakan dengan sengajak. Dengan membierkan berberapa batasan seprti mempakai warna hitam sebagai warna tersendiri dan bentuk yg jadi wadah, Sudiarta berhasil memebaskan diri dari expectasi terhadap arti, dan begitu juga memberi kebebasan pada sih penikmat karyanya.
I WAYAN SADU
Temple, palace, and market form a triad of public space that allows for a wealth of human interactions. Shifts in physical space- most notably supermarkets, profoundly affect human relations, our relationship with our environment, and life itself. Using fragmented architectural elements and expressive bold lines to delineate the symbolic elements of this image Sadu liberates us from habituated ways of perceiving, allowing us to contemplate our place in the dance of life.
Pura, puri dan pasar, bersama jadi suatu ruang public yg memperbolehkan beragam interaksi antara manusia. Perubahan ruang public- kususnya supermarket sangat mempengarohi hubungan social dan hubungan terhadap lingkungan dan kehidupan juga . Dengan memakai elemen fragmen architectural dan garis yg kuat dan berexpressi untuk mempertegas elemen symbolis di gambarnya, Sadu mengundang kita untuk membebaskan diri dari sudut pandang yg kita terbiasa pakai, supaya kita bisa menyadari posisi kita dalam tarian kahidupan.
I WAYAN GEDE BUDAYANTA
While his time in Java brought Budayanta an acute awareness of social and political issues, his return to Bali invigorated an equally acute awareness of his feelings about them more broadly. Though we are never entirely free as we constantly negotiate between personal freedom and belonging to groups, for Budyanta, liberation comes from deliberately and honestly choosing how he interfaces with these negotiations rather trying in vain to free himself from them.
Selama di Jawa, Budayanta jadi sangat sadar tentang issu social dan politik dan setelah kembali ka Bali jadi lebih sadar tentang perasahanya hadap issu2 tersebut. Meskipun kita tidak bisa benar2 bebas karna selalu ada negosiasi antara kemerdekaan pribadi dan bagian dari kommunitas, menurut Budyanta, kemerdekaan sesunguhnya adalah ketiga kita memilih – secara jujur dan sengajak, bagaimana kita menghadapi negotisasi tersebut. Bercuma kita berusaha membebaskan diri darinya.
I WAYAN ARISANA
Working in the context of the lively setting of village life means that Arisana’s creative work is constantly interrupted by social interactions and the ongoing customary duties involved in Balinese community life. Rather than perceiving this as unwanted influences, Arisana developed a work method that aligned with his conditions, creating small elements that could be later assembled into a whole. This change in perspective liberated him to express his personal vision with ease.
Karna Arisana berkarya di desanya yg penuh keramaian, dia sering harus berhenti oleh sebab interaclsi social dan tugas adat Bali yg tidak ada hentinya. Daripada dia mengakap situasi ini ganguan atau halangan, Arisana mengembangkan method kerja yg sesuai dengan kondisinya. Dia membuat elemen2 kecil yg kemudian bisa di rangkai dalam karya yg utuh. Dengan merubah cara pandangnya, dia membebaskan diri untuk mengexpressikan visinya dengan nyaman.
MADE WAHYU SENYADI (CUPAK)
Determined to put his creative impulse to good use, Cupak was inspired to become like the coconut tree with its myriad uses. Using this humble material he renders the highly ornate costumes of warrior and prince dancers in beautiful simple forms. Liberated from self-importance these figures can serve their function of service. Likewise, the destructive figure or Rangda can serve her function of renewal reminding the artist to do the same.
Dengan keinginan yg sangat kuat untuk menemukan cara memakai kreativitasnya secara yg bermanfaat, Cupak dapat inspirasi menjadi seperti pohon kelapa. Dengan memakai bahan dasar yg sederhana ini, dia menciptakan costume penari kesatria dan pemimpin yg biasanya sangat mewah ke dalam bentuk sederhana dan indah. Bebas dari keegoan, sosok2 ini bisa menjalani tugasnya mengabdi. Secara yg mirip, sosok Randga sebagai pengancur bisa menjalani fungksinya memperbaharui, dan mengingatkan pada senimen untuk melakukan yg sama.
I GEDE SUGIADA
Sugiada is constantly looking for unusual shapes in his environment that he can dialogue with within his exploratory artworks. He does not seek to break free from existing forms or even customs, on the contrary, he is interested to delve deeply into them to discover what enhances or disrupts harmony in and around him. For Sugiada liberation comes from allowing his personal expression to speak its distinct perception of what already is.
Sugiada selalu mencari bentuk yg aneh di sekitarnya yg dia pakai untuk berdialogue di karyanya. Bukan berarti dia ingin bebas dari bentuk ataupun adat yg sudha ada. Sebaliknya dia terarik masuk lebih ke dalamnya bier ketemu apa yg membuat atau menghalangi keharmonisan (di dalam dirinya ataupun di sekitarnya). Bagi Sugiada kemerdekaan muncul ketiga dia membierkan expressi pribadinya berbicara tentang yg sudah ada.
IDA BAGUS PUNYA ATMAJA
Creative potential is a fascinating topic for Atmaja who is less interested in expressing himself as he is in allowing unseen forms to take shape through him. He prayed to have a unique voice but then later prayed that distinct forms might come through him. His prayers were answered and having completed his tasks of bringing these unique forms into the material, Atmaja now seeks liberation by making meaningful art for all.
Potensi kreatifitas adalah judul yg sangat menarik bagi Atmaja, yg tidak begitu tertarik untuk mengexpressikan dirinya karna di memperbolehkan saja betuk yg tidak kelihatan berwujud lewat karya tanganya. Dia berdoa memohon menemukan ciri khasnya dan kemudian berdoa memohon bentuk unik bisa terwujud lewat tanganya. Doanya terjawab dan setelah dia tuntas tugasnya mewujudkan bentuk2 tersebut, Atmaja sekarang mencari kemerdekaan dengan membuat seni yg berarti untuk semuanya.
SUMAYATRA
Sumayatra found that everyone’s source of inspiration is essentially happiness. Video clips that made him happy were used as the source of inspiration for the printed photos of this artwork. Together these fragments of his quest to understand happiness are united as a whole. It is with great sensitivity that we are able to perceive the similarities we all share, and through this process, we liberate ourselves from our feeling of separateness.
Sumayatra menyadari bawah sumber inspirasi semua orang adalah kebahagian. Klip2 video yg membuat dia senang di pakai sebagai sumber inspirasi buat foto2 di karya ini. Fragmen dari pencarian ttgn kebahagian tergabung jadi karya utuh. Dengan kepekaan kita bisa mempersepsikan kesamaan antara ktia semua dan lewat proses itu, kita jadi terbebas dari kesan bawa kita terpisa.
UUK
Melalui proses menciptakan ‘google map’ yg buatan tangan, semacam peta lingkungan urban dimana Uuk tingal dan jadi bagian, adalah salah satu cara Uuk menjumpai kesimbangan antara yg pribadi dan yg kollektiv, yg modern dan yg tradisi, ide dan bentuk, harmony dan kebalikanya. Kadang juga dia membuat versi agak minimalis lingkungan yg sama yg juga jadi bagian dari proses berkelanjutan mencari dan mengalami kemerdekaan dalam kesimbangan.
GUS PURWA
Sebagai kepala adat, Gus Purwa menumukan sejenis kemerdekaan tertentu dalam keterbatasan tugasnya. Gambar Deblog, pelukis maestro dan pencinta adat dari Sanur, tercipta dari portrait diri. Dengan mengkombinasikan wajahnya sama latar belangkang hutan kuno yg serem, membukah pintu ke vibrasi spirit liarnya pelukis yg almarhum itu. Ganguan aesthetika dari garis orange muncul dari sutatu inspirasi tiba2 dan menampakan kemerdekaan Gus Purwa.
DEK AWAN
Responding to current extreme weather conditions, Awan (whose name means cloud) imagined a future in which all life on earth was sheltered by a single tree, such a rarity had trees become. These strange creatures simply flowed into Awan’s mind like water. Liberated from particular frames of reference by the happiness that came to him in the process, he demonstrates that both right and wrong are liberating forces in the creative proses.
Menrepond cuaca extreme yg terkini, Awan membayangkan masa depan seketiga semua kahidupan di muka bumi terlindungi sama satu pohon saja, oleh sebab pohon sudah jadi begitu langkah. Sosok2 yg aneh ini, mengalir seperti ari masuk ke benaknya. Kesengan membebaskan Awan dari bingkai2 tertentu dan lewat proses itu dia menunjukan bahwa salah dan benar bersynergi dalam berkarya menghasilkan kemerdekaan.
MUSEUM BATUAN, October 2018
Integrity: being aware that we are always included in the whole of life.
The village of Batuan has an extremely long and rich history that includes an extraordinary visual and performing arts heritage. The village temple, which itself demonstrates the great skill of painters, sculptors, dancers, and other artists, also houses a document that refers to an artists guild that already existed when the temple was established some 1000 years ago. Archeological evidence also shows that skilled artists were already working in Batuan long before that.
For most of Batuan’s history, art was created in the religious-cultural context as a communal act of devotion intimately tied to a holistic way of life wherein all aspects of life were understood as being part of a unified cosmo-vision. While these Balinese Hindu practices still ensure that arts continue to thrive here with exceptional power, painting in particular has been developing on its own uniquely fine-arts path, with traditional methods being expanded to include more contemporary themes and approaches.
Museum Batuan was first established as a place to showcase the wealth of talent found amongst the unusually large number of painters working here and houses a truly astounding collection of Modern Traditional Batuan Style Paintings.
The current exhibition marks a historical moment for the museum, as it is the first time that the current works by artists from Batuan, other parts of Bali, and indeed the world are being featured on such a large scale.
While the artists of this exhibition work in a variety of styles, techniques, and methods, they share a common source of inspiration: Bali -and more particularly the spiritual, philosophical, or unseen forces that inspire them to create. Keeping with the tradition of devotional works, each of the paintings speaks to the artist’s personal exploration of the unseen either within themselves or as it is expressed collectively and as such are direct references to the notion of ‘integrity’.
Although the word integrity is often used to refer to being in alignment with one’s principles, integrity in fact has a wider meaning. Integrity is defined as ‘being part of the whole and in the context of this exhibition refers to the bringing together of different artists who share a common source of inspiration but it also refers to this source of inspiration and how it is expressed.
Balinese culture is -broadly speaking, based on integrity both in terms of acknowledging all parts of life and also in terms of how this is expressed with art, religion, farming, economics, architecture, fashion, cosmology, education, social, political, personal, spiritual practices interweaving as individual threads that make up part of a larger whole.
Each of these aspects of life is clearly tied to the others and this interrelatedness is explicitly acknowledged in the traditions of Bali in myriad ways. Painting is no exception and although most painting on the island is no longer created in the same communal devotional context that it once was, this understanding of life remains an integral part of art practices on the island.
So strong is this understanding, that even visitors to the island who may not fully grasp the astonishing degree to which these connections are honored here, certainly feel it.
Maintaining an artistic practice requires a certain degree of integrity anywhere in the world as it comes with numerous challenges – the greatest of which is perhaps remembering that we are always part of the whole of life and persevering in trying to express this integrity in artworks that necessarily fall short but always hold the potential of bringing us that much closer to expressing this integrity with all that is.
From Balinese fold tales and shadow puppet stories that carry moral teachings to scenes of everyday life in Bali represented as unified visions of life as one interrelated unfolding, to more conceptual expressions of particular struggles to maintain traditions or personal experiences of interactions with the subtle forces that inform these traditions, to satirical representations of our changing times, to simple homages to the beauty and power of the land of Bali whether literal, symbolic, metaphoric, conceptual or poetic, whether abstracted, personal, imagined or remembered, each of these paintings stands as a testament to the remarkable and enduring strength of the land and culture of Bali to invite us all to appreciate the beauty of life and our integral place in it.
Brief texts about each of the 60 artists who took part in the Musuem Batuan exhibition entitled INTEGRITY I Pande Ketut Bawah Working in the traditional Balinese style, Bawah has developed his own unique characteristics, which include the use of softer colors and a fantasmagorical approach to depictions of traditional subjects – including his imagining of underwater scenes. I Made Putra Jaya. Firmly rooted in the traditional painting style of Tebesaya (Ubud), Putra Jaya has expanded the visual lexicon of the classic bird paintings to include wayang or shadow puppet-based ornamentation. I Made Awan Working in the traditional style of Tegallalang, Awan takes great pleasure in bringing together different subjects used in traditional painting in –often, humorous juxtapositions. I Wayan Bajra With the distinctive pastel palette of Pengosekan, Bajra’s paintings depict scenes of everyday life in Bali, including his own unique motifs for representing different elements such as water. I Ketut Muliastra Kuncit Clearly influenced by his background from Batuan, with characteristic humor infused in subjects of great seriousness, Muliastra departs from the purely classical style in his use of visual space, leaving empty areas for the eyes to rest and reflect on the story. I Made Budiayana Hailing from Bali North coast, after studying contemporary art in the city of Denpasar, Budiyana developed his personal style of abstraction which retains certain elements of traditional Balinese painting, including depictions of the artist's immediate surroundings reimagined on the canvas with strikingly beautiful results. I Nyoman Gede Darmawan (Kuek) Soaked in the traditional style of Pengosekan, Darmawan focuses on humorous depictions of natural impulses in a style expanded from his studies of contemporary art. Without departing entirely from tradition, Kuek offers a distinctly new approach to art making. I Ketut Kerta Widana While ceremonies, market scenes, farmers and rice fields, fishermen, and landscapes are all commonly depicted in traditional Balinese painting, here Widana includes them all in one scene. His daily practice of painting on eggs and the relative freedom this medium offers have clearly influenced his work on canvas as seen by the background left “unfinished”. I Hiro Yamauchi After leaving Japan to travel the world, Yamauchi found great inspiration in trying to convey the spirit of the people and places he has visited on all five continents. His depiction of a Japanese girl contemplating the Balinese scene before her, speaks of the enchanted world that Bali is to so many. Working in watercolor allows Yamauchi to capture the soft fluidity that makes up the moments of life he so eloquently portrays. Ni Nadia Korotaeva Working in two distinct styles Korotaeva remains avidly focused on the power of line and color to convey her deepest feelings. Her nudes speak of the vulnerability that all artists feel in exposing themselves through their works, while her abstract works allow her full abandonment to her intuitive reading of her surroundings. Naturally, her painting style has changed since she left Russia as the atmosphere of Bali infuses a new passion for expressing the unseen. Ni Veronika From her background in psychology, Veronika found herself deeply inspired to express the strong feelings that Bali has evoked in her through line and color. Her paintings depict Balinese landscapes in semi-abstraction as a reflection of her source of inspiration to explore this creative process. I Wayan Dirga In his masterful Banjar Baung style works, Dirga presents to us an intimate portrayal of a particular Balinese ceremony in which the great Barong from different villages gather a few days before Nyepi. Dirga’s attention to detail and perspective is truly remarkable and a beautiful reflection of the culture that he portrays. Ni Tania Having moved to Bali from Bellarus, Tania found herself confronted with both the tremendous beauty of Bali as well as the challenge of its relatively intense social world. Her background in art has served as a way for her to express both of these aspects in her stunning works that capture both the beautiful details of life in Bali as well as narratives heavily based on personal interactions as a way to convey the unseen in the image. I Nyoman Dangap With no previous contact with art, Dangap lept head first into art school at ISI Denpasar and came away with both great passion and talent. Working entirely in abstraction, Dangap seeks to allow the colors and texture to speak for themselves. Whether he is inspired by a feeling, from his cultural surroundings, or by the texture of the materials he uses themselves, abstraction allows him to reveal something beyond his control. Ngurah Darma As one of the few Balinese artists to work entirely in watercolor, Darma’s works allow for the subtle power of the island to make its way spontaneously into the movement of pigments through the water. Having developed his own technique of paper and color washes, Darma’s paintings retain a traditional element in their subject matter bringing new perspectives to old subjects. I Kataji Fijita After moving to Bali from his native Japan many years ago, Fijita started working in the Batuan style and though this influence remains clear in his works, he has now moved into simpler iterations of this compelling style, with Bali figuring prominently in his delightfully bright paintings. Ni Noella Rose Originally influenced by both the works of Bonnet and classic artists from her native Holland, Noella has developed a truly masterful style that is all her own. Working with dancers as her subject, Noella is intensely interested in capturing the personality that embodies the movements presented live in her studio. Her attention to anatomical details is not aesthetically inspired but rather mastered as a means of exposing the feelings of the dancers. I Nyoman Wijaya Deeply concerned with the cultural traditions of Bali, Wiaya’s works are derived from his intense cultural, historical, and technical research which he then uses to compose truly touching works of power. Combining elements of classical iconography, and depictions of figures that distinctly carry their ancestral heritage within them, Wijaya uses modern painting technics to bring these elements together to tell a greater story about the struggle to maintain ancestral practices in the present era. I Hutomo Ishi Having made Bali home for more than 20 years, Ishi brings a little bit of his native Japan to his artworks with his attention to color and shape. However, it is Bali that serves as inspiration but not the Bali we are used to seeing in artworks. Ishi works with objects trouves that he collects constantly wherever these discarded items catch his eye. Using paint to begin his artistic process he then reaches for objects that will compliment the painted surface. I Made Sutarjaya Sutarjaya’s distinctly graphic visual style may distract the viewer from his steadfast dedication to representing his traditional culture. Despite the great attention to detail presented in his dancing figures, it is not these details that concern him. For Sutarjaya, it is the joy that the dancers experience and share with the village audiences that he seeks to capture with his fluid lines and stark colors, recalling when he was a child and this was the only form of entertainment. I Wolfgang Wigmoser Having lived in Bali for nearly four decades, after studying and working in art in his native Holland, Wigmoser is an usually accomplished artist working in a number of genres. It is not the particular plasticity of art that interests him, though he takes great joy in exploring this too. For Wigmoser it is the exploration of philosophy through an image that drives him to create his many and varied works. A photo-realistic depiction of his paint palette for example yields what looks to be abstract but is in fact hyper-realism. I Duri Ariawan Deeply interested in learning about different cultural customs throughout Bali, Ariawan depicts these in a distinctly modernist style. Working from numerous photos of a given scene, he creates illustrations that place the main subject in prominence with the social surroundings blurred and serving as a mere support for the action underway. I Ni Neal Adams Inspired by the underlying forces of nature, Adams who has called Bali home for about 2 decades works in a variety of styles producing a series of paintings on a given theme before moving in an entirely new direction. It is the motifs and materials of nature that interests Adams. I Putu Bolok Widiyatara Having intensely studied the works of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Widiyatara remains dedicated to working with line drawings, however, his style is most markedly his own. Working on wax paper normally used for takeaway food his detailed works clearly draw on the mythical and aesthetic traditions of Bali and Indonesia more broadly, and depart only slightly –though poignantly from the dictates of tradition. Ni Made Yastini (Deyas) Starting with cartoons as her main vehicle of expression, Yastini has moved into a more realistic style with her attention remaining on facial expressions. Using photos or live models as her starting point, she builds up the tonal highlights in her own expressive way inspired by European artists. I Wayan Kaler Working in the Banjar Baung style, Kaler has truly mastered this technique yielding stunning works that he infuses with his personal exploration of color. Scenes that the artist has himself lived are presented in vivid detail here pictured as a particularly touching ceremony. I Ketut Darta Darta’s lavish use of color is both typical of the Young Artist style and extreme in its brightness and diversity, showing true mastery. Darta also uses elements of the Banjar Baung style including highly detailed and precise lines bringing the hallmarks of the Young Artist style to a new place more rooted in Balinese tradition. I Ketut Sudi Although the Banjar Baung style tends to feature landscapes more prominently than figures, here Sudi highlights the carefree kite flying of children as the main subjects of his masterfully executed painting. Harkening back to his own childhood when trees were more abundant than they are now, this idyllic scene of village life is drawn directly from the artist's own experience. I Ketut Wetel This beautiful example of the Banjar Baung style shows the typical perspective from on-high of the remarkable landscapes of this area. Rather than the lush green that is commonly featured, here, Wetel uses browns and yellows to give a more classical feel to his work. Also the prominence of the farmers is something that is more rarely found in this genre and speaks to his concern for the lack of youth willing to farm these days. I Made Teja Rendered in the sienna tones typical of Kutuh Kaja, Teja explores the use of space in this scene depicting a sacred ritual in which the tiger dances to attract the sacrificial cow which Teja represents in Barong Babi form as there is no Barong for cows. Although traditional in many ways, this painting includes far more figures than usually found in the Ubud style, and his great attention to anatomy also belies more modern influences. I Nyoman Sana Using a minuscule brush to create the incredible details of this work, Sana shows off the Banjar Baung style in the Young Artist school of painting with great mastery. The prominence of purple also harkens back to the blue hues of Spies paintings, though here the overall effect is clearly expressive of something uniquely Balinese in this scene of village life with attention to harmony amidst excessive ornamentation. Drs. Huga j. van Reijen I Made Kartika (Pak Gabah) This humorous scene of anthropomorphized dogs dancing the “Tari Cak Angin” with tourists lounging in the beach in the background is both skillfully rendered and indicative of the freedom allowed within the traditional genre of Balinese painting. Referring to humans as dogs verbally tends to be insulting yet here the playful loyal nature of dogs is pronounced leaving room for the viewer to read the scene in a number of different ways. Ni Kumi Aso After painting on canvas in Japan, Aso learned the art of Batik in Sayan, Bali some 10 years ago and has been exploring this medium ever since. Inspired by the more subtle aspects of the materials world such as wind and sound Aso finds that pigment on silk allows her to express these subtleties in a manner that suits her feelings. Pak Ulu Originally from Canada, Pak Ulu has many years traveling the world with Bali as his home base and source of inspiration for his painted works that seek to express his fascination with the inner world of humans and mythologies as expressions of this. Reimagining Asian and Norse mythologies, he combines Hindu decorative elements and the symbols and images that come to him in his musings. Pak Daniel The painting featured in this exhibition is indeed a historical document of when Pak Daniel first arrived in Bali some 30 years ago. Wanting to capture all his favorite things about Bali in a single painting, he chose the beautiful young shopkeeper he had a crush on as the main figure. Dividing the canvas into two conceptual halves representing male and female respectively he then rendered symbolic representations of this experience into objects whose shapes he placed on the left or right depending on their “gender”. This artwork also shows the beginning of a long and prolific career inspired by Bali. Tri Akta Bagus Setya After studying fine arts formally at Indonesia’s most prominent art school located in the town of Yogyakarta where innumerable craftspeople work, Setya became intrigued with the borderline between fine arts and craft and continues to explore this in his works. Now working in Bali this work expresses I Kadek Sumerta Sumerta’s keen interest in the stories of the Ramayana told in film and shadow puppet shows inspires him to use the typical Kutuh Kaja style to express his vision in traditional and nuanced ways reflecting both sources of inspiration. I Ketut Mudana Working in the traditional style of Kutuh Kaja, Mudana experiments with the use of watercolor for more freedom in expressing his vision. This apparently benign cremation scene is in fact critical look at the practice of cutting down trees to allow the high bade towers to pass on their way to being burned. Komang Awan Wayudi Also from Kutuh Kaja, Wayudi studied modern art at ISI Denpasar but prefers working in the traditional style, which he nonetheless infuses with modern techniques as seen in the foreground here. The Baris Jago dance is part of ceremonies in his village but also speaks to modern inclinations towards arrogance. I Wayan Balik The Rice field scene rendered in traditional style represents both the painter’s childhood memories as well as the important role of farming in Balinese culture. Having learned to paint as a child, Balik paints in a variety of styles and portrays a number of subjects that are dear to him. I Nyoman Pendet Senior painter Nyoman Pendet has witnessed tremendous changes in the landscape and culture of his native Peliatan (Ubud) and in true Balinese fashion as integrated these changes while remaining firmly rooted in the traditions passed down to him – including his style of painting. Influenced by the style of Rudolph Bonnet with whom Pendet studied for a time, this painting speaks of the peaceful quiet found within. Pendet always creates original subjects but always renders them in traditional style. I Wayan Sardini Having learned from his father who was a master painter, Sardini has developed his own style but remains intensely interested in portraying scenes from shadow puppet stories as well as scenes of the rich cultural practices of Bali. I Wayan Suarmadi After studying traditional painting with neighboring master painters, Suarmadi found himself drawn to experimenting with distinctly modern approaches to art-making while working in the tourism industry. Although he maintains the traditional strength of metaphor in the subjects of his paintings he has also been experimenting with the use of sand as a material in his works for the last 20 years. I Nyoman Sayan Sayan who is better known as ‘Mantulus’, learned to paint on his own with astounding success. Although he does not work in the traditional style, Mantulus maintains his native village of Sayan as his subject matter, depicting spectacular and pristine landscapes that he recalls from his childhood when there were no buildings and very little human activity by the rivers of his village. I Made Budiyasa Deeply inspired by the works of Antonio Blanco, Budiyasa who learned to paint in junior high, has developed his particular style of impressionistic realism which he uses to express some of the essences of Balinese culture which he feels is at times compromised by the influences of these times. Working with traditional bamboo brush, Budiyasa creates entirely new types of line work. I Made Lanus Having learned to paint from his father who was also a wayang maker, Lanus deviates from the strictly traditional style, though his approach to subject and theme remains firmly rooted in his Balinese surroundings. While ducks in the rice fields are indeed a common sight, this animal also plays an important role in traditional ceremonies and symbols and also represents an important alternative source of revenue for artists in Ubud. I Kadek Yulianto Based on a proverb about “teaching a duck to swim”, Yulianto combines his great skill in traditional painting and sculpture to bring together the wisdom of traditional stories and modern times, bridging what is often seen as a gap but which here is highlighted as one and the same. His humorous works invite us to question the value associated with both local and global culture. Pak OooL Fjolkunningr Although all of his painted works explore different aspects of the human perception of the divine, from reworked versions of Hindu and Norse deities to imagined mythologies, here Fjolkunningr presents his very personal and literal visioning of the divine within. Kadek Sumadiyasa As a professor of Religious Arts, Sumadiyasa is interested in both the form and function of Hindu arts with particular attention to the symbolic language of Hindu art and how it is used to express very specific principles. Though his words do not appear to follow the tradition of Balinese painting, they do echo its influence from Indian Hindu arts and speak to both the religious content as well as contemporary conditions. In this case the prevalence of religious interpretations that focus on only one aspect of the divine whole. I Wayan Noviantara Having studied traditional painting in high school, Noviantara continued to develop his own style that combines modern approaches to art with his strong influence from Balinese offerings called “Petulasan” made by coloring and sculpting pig fat into depictions of deities and demons which his parents make for a living. Noviantara uses his distinct style to depict both figurative and abstract scenes of subjects that touch him. I Ketut Sadia Deeply dedicated to maintaining traditional Batuan style painting, Sadia is no stranger to expanding the style to include distinctly contemporary subject matter. Here he uses the symbolic and pictorial language of Batuan to create a kind of prayer for peace and unity. I Wayan Dana Dedicated to the Batuan style in terms of both style and subject, many years ago, Dana dared to expand the boundaries of tradition quite literally by having his subjects extend beyond the frame. His mastery of the Batuan style includes a keen appreciation for the lessons inherent in many traditional stories and philosophical principles such as Tri Hitta Karuna. I Made Tubuh Master painter and oldest member of the Batuan artists collective, Tubuh continues to create exceptionally beautiful works that reflect his deep appreciation for the land culture and spirit of Bali which he always depicts as a unified whole with all parts of his paintings holding equal importance as parts of a whole. The interconnectedness of humans, nature, and the divine are presented seamlessly in this scene recalled from the artist’s own personal experiences. I Wayan Malik Represented in this highly stylized harmonious all-over pattern, Malik uses strong elements of the Batuan style to depict a scene of a Batuan garden at night during the sixth month of the Balinese calendar when flowers are in bloom and demons are in full flight. It is a time of many ceremonies to ensure that the atmosphere remains harmonious. I Made Sujendra Having learned to paint in the traditional Batuan style, Sujendra has been instrumental in expanding the visual and spacial vocabulary of this style for over 2 decades. Using visual elements of the Batuan style, he dares to create surrealistic scenes that speak more to the contemporary mind while continuing to draw on the wealth of wisdom of Balinese philosophy. I Wayan Bawah Antara While traditional Balinese culture remains the subject of his paintings, and traditional techniques are used to render certain details, Antaraenjoys expressing the feeling of the scenes portrayed using more modern approaches to art, including realism and eye-witness perspective. Ya Ting LeeAfter visiting Balifrom her native Taiwan, Lee found herself deeply inspired to exploreand express her creative spirit on canvas. Drawing on a combinationof her own inner feelings and her perception of her surroundings, Lee translates these into painted works that she has been creating usingher hands as brushes. I Made Wahyu Senyadi Suffering from aneye condition that makes it hard for him to see clearly, Senyadi developed his own unique style of pixilation using an abstracted version of the barong as a pixel to create works that convey both asense of how he sees the world through his eyes but also how he perceives the unseen world conceptually. I Nyoman Suarnaya Working in pencil,Suarnaya most often works on paper whether it be discarded envelopesor other things to depict ambiguous stories rendered as documents about imagined situations. At times conveying biting social commentary, at times simply expressing a quandary, Suarnaya's world has a surprising depth to it. I Gede Suaryawan Deeply rooted in theculture of Bali both visually and conceptually, Suryawan developed his distinct style of breaking up the individual spaces of the canvas into discreet parts only to reassemble them into a cohesive whole that vibrates with life. Made Kardu Astika Having learned to paint in the Modern Traditional Balinese style of Ubud, Astika is now the only artist living in Petulu to work in this style. While hismastery of detail is astounding his rendering of emotion in his figures is equally powerful, presenting an untold story beyond the story literally depicted. Dewa Merta Nusa Abstraction is a passion for Nusa, but it is not a pure abstraction of concepts or feelings. Like traditional painters who seek to represent what surrounds them on a daily basis, Nusa is also inspired to visualize Balinese culture, though clearly not as is it normally seen but rather how it is perceived by the artist. I KadeK Mudana Yasa. Working withtraditional Balinese painting techniques for rendering line, shading, and color, Yasa departs from the compositional and thematic style of this genre. Here a single figure of a man sits relaxing in an unknown space with no other surrounding details as if floating in ambiguity. AA Putu Oka Astika The Arja Topeng dance is a rare and special Balinese dance performed for a ceremony, and while the subject and filling of the visual space with details echoes the traditional style of panting, Astika has created an entirely new way of representing scenes from his culture. Based on his personal observations and feelings Astika brings a new layer to the visual lexicon of this genre. I Nyoman Lidra Yoga Depicting farming and ceremony in the same image, we are reminded of how intimately these two spheres of life are related. Using traditional techniques, composition, and subject, Yoga’s attention to the expression of each figure highlights the role of humans in maintaining the harmony of life in Bali. I Wayan Mandiyasa This scene of life in Bali harkens back to Mandiyasa’a own childhood when social life revolved in large part around work in the rice fields. Here the pristine water of Bali merges seamlessly with the earth and sky, echoing this harmony in the visual space. I Ketut Sumadi Painted in the classic wayang (shadow puppet) style, Sumadi depicts an imagined scene of Hanuman’s army flying through smoke and demons rendered in a new style of imagery. I Wayan Naya Painted in the Kutuh Kaja style, a temple scene is brought to life with the Barong dance in the foreground as the point of focus with Randga approaching from the shadows. While the Barong remains visually dominant the devotees make up most of the visual space. I Kadek Sunarta The Wayang Wong dance is only rarely performed and here it is set well within the context of nature with the torch lighting providing a distinct and slightly eerie atmosphere recalling a time out of time. I Made SunartaWhile the importance of the cockfight is underlined by it being the point of focus of the composition, Sunarta includes other scenes of everyday life of rural Bali in the scene, signaling the place of the cockfight as an integral part of life on the island with temples and rice paddies also figuring prominently. I Ketut Ada Despite being born and raised in Sangingan,Ubud where he learned to paint in the traditional style, Ada has developed his own unique and distinctly modern style of painting. While the composition and style of “Harmony in Love”, may appear to be far from the traditions of Bali, his approach to art remains rooted in many concepts from his culture, including what he calls “raindrop brush strokes” recalling the source of life. Beauty as arising from within and the purity of nature and the moon, in particular, inform this beautiful work that he believes –like all his works, is destined for a particular person. I Nyoman Kandita Although Kandita most often paints in the modern style today, he first learned topaint from traditional style master painters in his native Pejeng andbeyond and holds this approach to art dear to his heart. “UnangUning” (demon apprentices) is rendered in a particular style that flourished in the 1990s with red highlights dominating the painting. Demons hold a particular place in Balinese culture, which Kandita feels is a distinct part of his identity that he cherishes. I Nyoman Sukarsa Hailing from Kutuh Kaja in the heart of Ubud, Sukarsa learned to paint in the traditional style from his father and grandfather and later other artists in the area. Questioning why such paintings always had to fill the entire canvas with details instead of focusing on a particular object, Sukrasa, under the guidance of Nyoman Teja Mulya, began his series of stark works. “Karapan Sapi” combines the image of a cattle-raiser from Madura with Balinese decorative details to criticize the competitive nature of politics and modernlife in general. His signature canang offering is a Balinese versionof the Chinese red stamps used to sign artworks. Putu Duduk Ariawan This young painterfrom Singaraja is taking the ancient Balinese tradition of Lontar-drawing to a new level with his series of realistic portraits rendered on this traditional material, which he says has been proven by time to be durable. Like Balinese culture itself, his works are flexible yet distinctly rooted in philosophical principles. His lontar leaf drawing of the pre-Hindu “Perang Padan” tradition that is still practiced today, offers a new perspective on these ancient traditions and indeed approach to art more broadly. Nur Ilham Drawing on his immediate surroundings for inspiration, Ilham who was born and raisedin Bali, seeks to bring a new perspective to everyday objects. “Hidup Harus Terus Berjalan” (Life must go on), was inspired by a bird’s nest that had fallen in his yard causing all the chicks to die. The mother flew off and continued her life despite this great loss. His great mastery of the art of watercolor rendered in a highly realistic style belies his great attention to the story and the philosophical underpinnings of his works. Ni Komang Ayu Sri Rejeki Working on resin sculptures at her studio in Singakerta, which she shares with earthenworks potters, Ayu was inspired to try her hand at this more natural and more challenging material. Inspired by the courage and creativityof Frida Khalo as a fellow woman artist Ayu created a bust of this legendary artist rendered in a distinctly Indonesian style. As roses have long been dear to Ayu’s heart, this “Frida Series” married perfectly with her desire to express something of the challenges of creative expression, which like the rose, may have thorns but yields great beauty. Made Suasta While he normally works with more spontaneous lines, “Bunga Tamanku Mulai Mekar” (the flowers of my garden starting to bloom), is a portrait of his garden but also an expression of his own flourishing as an artist. Deeply inspired by expressionism and impressionism, Suasta here dares to render his flowers with strong sharp lines moving slightly in the direction of cubism but remaining loyal to the spontaneous emotional expression of his “en-direct” impressionist method and bright contrasting expressionist colors. Made Lanus Kutuh Kaja is home to a tremendous number of painters as well as ducks. As painter Lanus was exploring traditional style painting he felt the call ofthe ducks and starting rendering these ubiquitous subjects in arealistic style. Ducks are highly social animals that never fightover food though they are very picky about their food being clean.They are happy animals that bathe after making love and hold particular significance for Balinese ceremonies in which only certain priests may offer to the divine. The rare “necklaced” duck that is particularly sought after for rituals appears here as a reminder of the sacred significance of this deceptively simple animal. I Gede Suryawan Putra The broken spaces of Suryawan’s brightly colored paintings are rendered as distinct moments of lighting creating an overall effect of unity, reflecting Balinese philosophy that allows for great variety within certain confines. “Dunia Predator” presents us with the cycle of predation in the animal world -that is both natural and threatening, inviting us to ponder these tendencies in our own human nature. I Wayan Eka Partama “The Dancer”depicts a traditional dancer from the Bali Aga village of Beban demand was inspired by both the great variety of traditional dances of Bali and the particularly distinct dancers of this ancient village. While the subject speaks of tradition the rendering combines elements of abstraction, realism, expressionism, and traditional styles of painting thus representing the concept of variety in the formal treatment of this subject and concept. I Ketut Kartawidana Kartawidana is fromthe village of Bitera, Gianyar where egg painting was first developedin Bali. Practicing this challenging version of traditional painting has provided this artist with a particular mastery of this style,which he brings to the canvas. This exceptionally expressive traditional Balinese style painting brings to us a visceral feelingof the chaos – both physical and spiritual, experienced on theisland during the eruption of Mount Agung. Aon Agung (ash from Agung) was is in fact a visual representation of a piece of music written by Kartawidana for which he shot a video during one of the eruptionsof the great mountain. The experience moved him to create this painting. I Wayan Wijaya (YanNgurah)The Calang Arang dance ritual depicted in this painting is rendered in a style thatechoes the egg painting style of Wijaya’s native village of Bitera. Here, however, the vividness of the characters is contrasted with the black and white Batuan-style background giving dynamism to thescene that beautifully expresses the mystical atmosphere of thisritual that appears to be occurring in between worlds. I Nyoman Reta Many artists inBanjar Baung work in the modern traditional Balinese style thatdeveloped out of the young artist school of painting. Reta has, however, taken a different approach to his painting by using modern painting techniques and stark composition while still depicting a rice field scene as often found in the traditional style. I Wayan Agus Eri-Putra Using a paletteknife Putra has developed his own unique style of painting that –like traditional painting relies on his memory rather than live sketchingand renders real perspective in a new or modern style of composition.His attention to lighting draws attention to the atmosphere of thescene more than anything else. Nadya Lesnaya Agunga is the name that this Russian painter gave to the woman who is the subject of this painting. As Mount Agung was erupting, Lesmaya felt drawn to getcloser to the great mountain and Agunga was one of the last peopleleft in the village near the erupting volcano. She renders thisportrait with great depth of feeling for both the woman and the feeling of thescene at the time they met. I Wayan Suarsana After studying at ISI Denpasar, Suarsana started combining the traditional Balinesestyle he had learned as a youngster with more modern approaches topainting, where his focus is on the friendship between a farmer andhis cow rendered in a style that recalls the high-modernist period ofpainting in both Europe and Bali. I Nyoman Bratayasa Working in black andwhite has its own particular challenge as each line is bared raw tothe viewer. While Bratayasa is deeply inspired by the culture of Bali, he is particularly interested in capturing the spiritual feeling of the scenes he sketches on the spot. Having learned topaint in the Pengosekan style, Bratayasa has moved distinctly intothe expressionist abstract modern style over the years and is nowfirmly committed to rendering spontaneous lines to express thevibration of the places he visits. I Wayan Badra Having first learned to paint in high school in Ubud, Badra went on to study ancient literature, which led to a long and fruitful career in archeology in Bali and eastern Indonesia. Having retired last year, Badra picked up his paintbrush again and found that although creating a composition was rather challenging after all these years and took him a lot longer than it had in the past, his artistic talent, -which he inherited from his grandfather and father, had not left him. The subject of the painting is based on a popular story about a young man who comes across angels or “bidadari” bathing in the river. He steals one of their sarongs as a ransom for her to marry him. She agrees but explains that it is on the condition that after she bears him a child she will have to return to heaven. I Wayan Sarda Using thetraditional Balinese technique of painting that involves creatinglayer upon layer of lines and colors in a specific sequence, Sarda renders typically traditional scenes with distinct realism. Having worked for many years creating traditional Balinese-style paintings on Kimonos, Sarda started combining elements such as buildings from other places in distinctly Balinese settings. His mastery of detail is surpassed only by his great attention to the vibrancy of his colors. Dewa Ketut Firtayasa The hyper-realism of “making buildings”, although indeed based on an actual photo ofhis children that he took spontaneously one day, belies Firtayasa's multi-layered concept that speaks both through his formal approach, compositional style, and elements, as well as the subject matter. Balinese children creating buildings instead of playing in the ricefields speak to current concerns about the future of the islandwhile the barong mask added to the scene recalls the ongoing presenceof tradition amongst the youth, albeit it is slightly ignored. The addition of crumpled newspapers also hints at questions about what information is being shared and how truth is viewed in the present era. Ketut Gede Susana Soul Dance is indeed soulfully rendered in this hauntingly beautiful scene that speaks of the feeling that infuses the outward appearance of Balinese cultural practices. The dance depicted is a new creation and setting thedancer against the backdrop of an ancient heritage site brings tolight the continuity of Balinese traditions that remain rooted in the heartfelt approach of those who express it. Susana who works with disabled children is especially attuned to the feeling element ofart and prioritizes his enjoyment of the creative process over theoutcome of his works, which nonetheless end up being exceptionally beautiful. Gusti Ketut Batuan Having learned from great painters at Puri Lukisan such as Bonnet and Made Poleng, Batuan spent many years working as a civil servant but always took the timeto continue practicing his art. Combining elements of the youngartist's style with other traditional styles to create typical modern traditional images such as market scenes or shadow puppet paintings, Batuan always creates his own unique compositions with particular attention to light. Here he brings to life the eerie scene of sorcerer apprentices proving their power by delivering a baby to their master in the cemetery. Siren Working in mixed-media, this Russian painter expressed her vision of nature in Bali as being composed of all manner of lace patterns. The circles representing the cycles of life and forms found throughout nature frame the lace patterns she sees not only in the traditional shirts of Balinese women but also in the water trees and sky of this enchanted island. Amicus “Marvellous” is the name of the model that this Russian painter met in a live painting workshop in Bali. Enchanted by the woman she approached herand found a deep connection to this young woman who she then photographed as a reference for this painting. Using marble dust and paint, Amicus uses a palette knife for the first time to create this evocative portrait -as she says, can onlybe created when she feels an emotional connection to the person. I Nyoman Kande Kanyasa Having worked as a sculptor for many years, Kanyasa is very familiar with traditional Balinese motifs, which he applies to his paintings in a unique way. Combining both traditional and modern techniques such as pointillism, Kayastha brings this traditional subject to life with great vitality. Edi Markas Often traveling between Java and Bali Markas feels a deep appreciation for theability of the Balinese to maintain their traditions in the modern era and is especially impressed by their flexibility towards outside influences. While all kinds of traditions both in Bali and beyond make up the subject of his paintings, it is the contrast between urbanization and customary traditions, which inform Markas’s works both conceptually and visually. His impressionistic approach to lighting speaks of contrast more broadly and produces works of great feeling that also carry a more profound message about local traditions and their place in the face of modernization. Mona Palma After her kids left home, Palma started teaching herself to paint,drawing on the traditional clothes of Indonesia as a source ofinspiration. It is not the patterns of these clothes, however, thatinform her works but rather their symbolic value as the intersection between people and their environment -be it social or natural. Palma is particularly interested in conveying the loving power of nature inher works and in a remarkably short amount of time has gained great mastery of her chosen medium, seamlessly combining. Here she speaksof the love, patience, and dedication that is required to produce batik made with natural dyes. Peter Harjadi Drawing has beenpart of Harjadi’s life since he was a small child and led him towin the top prize in an Asia-Pacific wide poster competition when hewas still in Junior High. His studies in graphic design and work infashion sharpened his skills in translating human movement into visual form and after just over a decade of life in the fast lane of Singapore, Harjadi has returned to his passion for charcoal drawing with Bali serving as his source of inspiration. Working in black and white allows the strength of his line work to convey the essence ofthe movements he portrays while the addition of a touch of color adds vibrancy to his works that echo the spirit of his subjects withgreat depth of feeling.