Following the recent dismantling of his Tiga Mojang (Three Ladies) statue in Bekasi, Nyoman Nuarta has called on members of the public to explain claims that the statue is obscene and blasphemous.
In an interview with The Jakarta Post on Sunday, Nyoman said the groups' interpretation of the statue was “silly and utterly misleading”.
“I made the statue by considering aspects of local [West Javanese] culture and never thought about attaching any religious symbol to it," Bandung-based Nyoman said.
“Why did I make it three [ladies]? It was simply because the statue would be put in the center of a boulevard circle so it could 'welcome' motorists from all surrounding three streets."
He also denied that the statue had shown obscenity.
“I am a master of beautiful statues. If someone feels offended by such works of art, please ask them which part of the statue makes them feel sexually aroused?" he said.
On Saturday, the Bekasi municipal administration decided to take down the statue, which resembles three ladies standing in traditional West Javanese attire, after a series of protests from local hard-line Islamic groups which have considered the statue obscene and symbolizing the Christian Trinity concept.
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