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I Wayan Karja: In Search of Expression
Balinese abstract artist I Wayan Karja finds solace in expressive art, as it liberates him from unnecessary attachments and allows him to find the therapeutic quality of art
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Balinese abstract artist I Wayan Karja finds solace in expressive art, as it liberates him from unnecessary attachments and allows him to find the therapeutic quality of art.
Three years of studying expressive art at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland in 2008-2011, has brought Karja to a new understanding of painting.
'Expressive art allows you to create art with various modalities,' Karja told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
The artist will showcase his work in a solo exhibition entitled 'Journey to the Unknown', which will be publicly displayed on March 5-15 at the CSIS Auditorium, the Pakarti Center in Central Jakarta.
'There's three important things in creating paintings: to play, to flow and to be free,' he said.
'I want to be free, I want it to flow and I want to play [with my paintings].'
Apart from aesthetic reasons, Karja said a piece of art should be seen as a playful thing, something that came naturally and carried a feeling of freedom.
The 50-year-old artist said he did not want to create paintings that were too serious or intimidating.
'A painting should be a piece of art that is nice to look at, is harmonious as it is refreshing and, if possible, has a therapeutic dimension.'
For his upcoming exhibition, the artist will showcase 42 paintings created between 2010 and early 2015.
The exhibition's title, he said, was inspired from the realities of people's lives.
'You know, most of our plans in life don't turn into reality. People make plans, but by the end of the day, it's the universe that decides. The fact is, the universe gives us things that we need instead of what we want.'
He said the 'Journey' exhibition centered on the spirit of Bali and cosmic energy.
'Some paintings carry the spirit of Bali ' you'll see images showing strong feelings on nature, while others reflect cosmic energy, for example a painting that is inspired by the big bang theory,' he said.
In his work, he applies a wide color spectrum, from bright to dark, as a way of expressing a gate that leads into the world of imagination.
'For example, I incorporate colors that represent water, paddy fields and horizons,' said Karja, who also studied painting and printmaking at University of South Florida in the US in 1997-1998.
Born and raised in Ubud ' the home of Balinese fine art and a place magical views of paddy fields and steep ravines ' painting has become a big part of Karja's life.
His father, I Ketut Santra, introduced him to painting and then taught him the techniques.
Having the ability to paint in a Balinese traditional style since he was small, Karja soon found out that being a realist painter was not his true calling.
'I had the skill to paint traditional and realist paintings, but the feeling wasn't there any longer,' said Karja, who has held at least 14 solo exhibitions since 1992.
Circa 1990, Karja, who studied painting at the Indonesian Fine Arts Institute (ISI) in 1981-1985 and at Udayana University (1985-1990) in Denpasar, started learn more about Western-style paintings, mainly impressionism and post-impressionism work, such as masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse.
'Monet and Van Gogh are among the inspiring painters that made me who I am today,' Karja says. 'Abstract paintings are not destined to be understood. Their role is to bring feeling to their audience.'
As a painter, Karja, who is also ISI lecturer, plays and learns with colors every single day but never feels that it is enough, saying that a painter always learns something new from colors, especially in terms of their character.
Paintings, for him, are a reflection of life.
'I can learn the values of life by appreciating paintings and colors. You know, each color carries its own character ' it's like colors in shadow puppet plays. There are puppets with bright colors like white and red, and there are ones with darker colors, which represents their character.'
' Photos by JP/Awo
