“My concern is to express reflections that go far deeper than what we can know with our panca indra (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin). All of my work is a process that goes hand in hand with the demands of my soul. It is essentially a spiritual process taking visible pictorial shape,” Made Djirna. Lovers of Balinese art recently had the unique opportunity to see an exhibition of one of Indonesia’s contemporary masters, Made Djirna. MADE DJIRNA RETROSPECTIVE 1992-2022, opened on 18 December 2023 and continued until 7 January 2024 at ARMA Museum, Ubud. The exhibition featured forty works, thi ..read more

Aprililia is an emerging painter from West Sumatra gifted with a unique talent who began residing in Bali in 2023. Born in 2000 in Padang, the self-taught artist significantly contributes to the growing wealth of national and international creatives who call the island home. Lily, as she is also known, majored in Informatics Education at PGRI University SUMBAR, Padang, West Sumatra. The subject involves studying and applying the principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to the design, testing, development, and evaluation of operating systems, software, and computer performance ..read more

AI and 3D printing technology offers Jemana Murti vast horizons for artistic development. Emerging Balinese artist Jemana Murti has embarked on a distinct creative mission, anchored securely within his traditions while propelling him on an exciting trajectory and original art frontiers. Majoring in Fine Art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore one of the subjects Murti studied during his four years at college was New Media Art. The genre includes digital art, interactive art, internet art, virtual art, art made using AI, robotics, video games, biotechnology, 3D printing, computer a ..read more

One of 2023s most significant art exhibitions has recently closed. YEAR OF THE TIGER, a presentation of paintings by Balinese priestess Mangku Muriati at BIASA Art, Ubud, in collaboration with V-Room Bali and Honold Fine Art, ran from 3 September – 25 November 2023. Mangku Muriati is an internationally renowned traditional painter of the sacred religious Kamasan images and contemporary narratives. Kamasan, also known as Classical and Wayang paintings adorn temples, palaces and the houses of aristocracy throughout the island. (Mangku denotes the title of temple priest) In Bali, where the veil ..read more

Art Jakarta is the premier Southeast Asian-focused art fair in Asia, located in the heart of the most significant art market of the region, Jakarta. It is an indispensable platform for contemporary art exchange and an international forum for key stakeholders in Asia to serve the region’s burgeoning art ecosystem. This year, Art Jakarta 2023 will be held on 17–19 November at a new venue, JIExpo Kemayoran, in Jakarta, celebrating artistic expression in a spacious environment with state-of-the-art facilities. Art Jakarta 2023 welcomes galleries from Indonesia and Southeast Asian countries, inclu ..read more

I first met Hana Madness at the discussion “Art Has Saved My Life”, led by two Indonesian art activists at the Rumah Sanur Creative Hub, Bali, in June 2019. The discussion was one of the forums of Ayo Ketemu! (Let’s Meet!), an innovative entrepreneurial, creative program for Indonesians with mental and physical disabilities. Hana spoke of utilizing art as an alternative therapy to positively impact her healing processes concerning mental health issues. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffering from psychotic symptoms, Hana began investigating art in high school to help with stre ..read more

Renowned Indonesian poet, essayist, playwright and editor Goenawan Mohamad presents a collection of printmaking works in his first print exhibition, Kitab Hewan: Book of Beasts, open  3 February – 5 March 2023 at Sika Gallery, Ubud, Bali. The works are the outcome of an artist in residency program at the DEVFTO Printmaking Institute. “Previous to the pandemic, I knew nothing about printmaking, even though I greatly appreciated the genre. Then, while attending an exhibition in Ubud in April 2021, I met Devy Ferdianto, Indonesia’s master printmaker and I wanted to learn from him,” Moh ..read more

Emerging Balinese contemporary artist Ketut Nugi captured my attention in a group exhibition, ‘Documenting Perspective’ at Nonfrasa in Ubud during July-August 2022. Showcased within a display cabinet, ‘Irrational of Joy’ 2022 is a montage of colourful illustrations and old photographs that transports the imagination to the formative days of Dutch colonialism tourism (picture in your mind’s eye brochure photographs from the 1920s describing the iconic, beautiful traditional Bali). His painterly style was refreshing. Strong composition structure, rapid brush strokes and intriguing content revea ..read more

Balinese masks worn during ritual performances allow dancers to assume the disguise of humans, animals, spirits and powerful supernatural entities to help inform society about cultural ethics, morality, religious scriptures and folklore. The most comprehensive study about the cultural icon Masks of Bali: Between Heaven and Hell has recently been published.  Created according to sacred protocols, masks or topeng (meaning something pressed against the face) are recognized as living beings that receive unique offerings every 210 days. Exquisitely carved from the fine-grained white timb ..read more

Nonfrasa, a new contemporary gallery in Ubud, has captured my heart and imagination. The brainchild of Balinese creative Krisna Sudharma, Nonfrasa merges avant-garde Balinese and Indonesian contemporary art with harmonic architectural design to induce the memorable art experience. According to the website, “Nonfrasa is a platform dedicated for discovering emerging artists and rediscovering leftfield work from artists in Bali and Indonesia, exploring the range and context of Bali’s rich art and culture history through a narrative and practice of actively expanding contemporary identities.” At ..read more