From traditional Balinese art to the abstract

Retno K. Djojo , Contributor , Denpasar | Thu, 07/10/2008 10:14 AM | Surfing Bali

The young and self-styled Balinese painter Made Ariana has come a long way since he first introduced his works to the public in 2000.

Balinese artist Made Ariana stands near one of his latest works in front of his home studio in Singaraja. (JP/Retno K. Djojo)

Talking from his home studio in Singaraja, he says his eighth exhibit, scheduled to be held in Amsterdam later this year, will be his fourth in the Netherlands.

Ten of his paintings will be on display, including his works titled Kesucian (purity) and Energy, as part of a joint exhibition with painters from other countries.

Both these contemplative, abstract paintings are in stark contrast with the more traditional Balinese painting styles like the kamasan or peasant styles of Ubud.

"I took up abstract painting after a long process of searching for a way to express my inner feelings," he says.

Born the second child of a poor farmer, the 33-year-old Ariana recalls he always wanted to become a painter.

He dreamed of enrolling at a prestigious arts academy, but poverty at home forced him to quit school after completing his elementary education.

Things did not seem to go his way, he says, and he had to help his parents make ends meet by selling fruit on Lovina beach.

His desire to draw persisted, so he "drew" pictures in the beach sand. His drawings of mountains and beach panoramas as well as mythical Hindu deities caught the attention of Professor Rudy Koegler from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.

Meeting Koegler, Ariana says, lifted the dark veil that hung over his life. He received a steady supply of paper and paint to develop his drawing skills.

He says his earlier paintings were just interpretations of what he saw in his surrounding environment.

Nevertheless, the drawings he sent to Koegler were well received. He earned on average Rp 100,000 for each drawing, which helped boost the family income.

In 1998, his still unpolished talents were discovered by teachers at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Art. He received an invitation to study in the Netherlands, where he also worked with a group of young painters from other countries.

Those four months of private study opened up new horizons and gave him the confidence to put his works on display, and his lecturers encouraged him to express himself more freely.

The first step towards liberating himself from the confines of traditional Balinese painting styles landed him in the realm of abstract expressionism.

But the freedom he gained has not made him forsake his cultural and religious background. As with many contemporary Balinese artists, his artistic growth has only strengthened his ties to his cultural heritage.

His painting Kesucian reflects his spiritual background, which is steeped in Balinese Hinduism.

The painting, with predominantly bluish-green tones, emanates calm. A lotus flower at the bottom symbolizes purity. Pointing to a rectangular figure, Ariana says a pure heart will open doors and is able to overcome obstacles that stand in the way for the attainment of happiness and inner peace.

Asked about the criticism that contemporary Balinese painters are too preoccupied with their personal spiritual experiences, he defends himself saying themes like happiness and inner peace are universal in nature, not exclusively Balinese.

Balinese Hinduism offers a wealth of symbols that can be used for the betterment of both local and global societies, he says.

This conviction sets the stage for him and his Balinese contemporaries to give more attention to a myriad of social issues, including poverty, protection of women and children and environmental preservation.

Focusing on these social issues, Ariana says, can open up wider horizons for Balinese artists and place them on par with their Western counterparts.

Ariana says he put his heart and soul into the painting, Energy: "This one is only for display, not for sale. I can't part with it."

The painting depicts an extended tongue in gold, symbolizing Bali's cosmological concept with mankind at its center and emanating energy into the environment.

Quite a number of visitors to Ariana's studio have placed high bids for the work, but Ariana says he refuses to part with it.

The hardships he says he endured during his childhood years have not left him bitter -- he remains a soft-spoken Balinese artist who is still searching for ways to establish a hallmark for Bali's fine art.

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