These are not descriptions of surreal dreams but actually paintings by Wayan “Kun” Adnyana currently on display at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta cultural center in Jakarta until Aug. 8 as part of his solo exhibition, “Citra Yuga: An Iconography of the Heroism of the Yeh Pulu Relief.”

The Yeh Pulu Relief — thought to have been created in the 14th or 15th century in Gianyar, Bali — is at the center of Kun’s solo exhibition. The beautiful carvings can be found at the Yeh Pulu temple in the middle of rice fields in the village of Bedulu.

He analyzes the visual artwork of the relief, deciphers the story behind it and uses it as an inspiration for his own paintings. The process brings together academia and art by using scientific research methods for the creation of art.

“It is a dissemination exhibit from the result of my research,” explained the artist.

Kun spent a year studying the relief using an iconographic theory by German art historian, Erwin Panofsky. What Kun found was that the Yeh Pulu Relief was different in comparison with other ancient monuments in Bali from the same era.

“The figures depicted in the relief are very realistic and not ornamental or flat like the ones in Wayang Kamasan, a classical Balinese art form. The surface of the sculptures is also very rough and not smooth like the others,” he said.

He said the biggest difference lay in the theme of the relief, which illustrates the lives of people in their daily lives.

“Normally, monuments from that era portray gods and mythology, but this relief depicts hunting for tigers or boars, or men carrying tuak, a Balinese wine,” he said.

The artist believes that these ordinary scenes show the history of heroism in everyday lives. A horse-riding prince, two men killing a tiger, men carrying a pig slung from a pole on their shoulders, a princess being waited on, all offer a glimpse into a life we can no longer witness. But in his contemporary paintings, these images come alive with a touch of the modern.

He combines five approaches in contemporary painting beginning with cutting, where he imagines the relief to be a poster that can be freely cut. He juxtaposes these cutouts on abstract backgrounds using a myriad of colors that are freely thrown, splashed and painted.

The paintings also include his trademark feature of muscular Balinese men devoid of facial features, yet displaying movements and emotions forming the essence of the painting. The men and the relief cutouts are highlighted and stand out from the background, drawing the focus of the viewer.

“This establishes the starting point of the story and the center of attention for the viewer,” Kun says.

The reliefs are filled in with an ink pen creating an intricate design that isn’t visible at a first glance. While the background might make the paintings seem like modern art, Kun said modernism does not allow him to combine the different elements in his series.

“In the modernist concept, you can’t combine a dualist approach of abstract and realistic figuration. It is impossible. But with a contemporary concept, it is possible to combine what are considered binary positions,” he said.

Kun has been praised by art critic Jean Couteau as a rarity. Despite many great painters coming from Bali, he said not many were also writers on fine art.

“Wayan Kun Adnyana is a fine example of that rarity — a cunning dancer of the brush, yet also a proficient composer of words. It is fitting for Bali as a space synonymous with cultural triumphs, to commence nurturing and holding scholars who are captivatingly clear, concise and critical in intellectual pursuits,” Couteau was quoted as saying from Kun’s book Nalar Rupa Perupa.

“Kun stands tall among the contemporary figures who will shape the future Balinese culture. He is an intellectual who remains ‘Bali’, remains national, and increasingly global in his endeavors.”

With his series, Kun hopes to connect the past and the present, offering a chance for today’s Balinese youth to understand their ancient culture.

“The aim of creating this art is that the new generation of Bali have new ways to remember their cultural monuments. The youth aren’t familiar with this relief and this series provides them with a new approach for remembering their past.”

He does this with ease and finesse, as seen in his piece Gateway, which sees faceless figurines carrying doorframes, used to symbolize the plot of the relief and are the gateways through which past and genealogy can be viewed.

He believes that the tales of heroism present in everyday lives depicted in the Yeh Pulu Relief can be translated into our lives today — making each and every one of us heroes of today. 

***

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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