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Digitizing Balinese iconography into the 21st century
The 21st-century digital creative economy is the catalyst and thriving platform to propel Balinese creatives into new and growing local and international markets. Technology and the internet empower emerging artists, pushing their cultural iconography to fresh heights. New domestic and foreign audiences are embracing it.
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Futurist art: Dewa Gede Raka Jana Nuraga, aka Rakajana, poses with one of his digital art creations. (Rajakana/Courtesy of Rajakana)
T
he Balinese DNA is a unique genetic code responsible for an extraordinary array of creative expressions, both sacred and otherwise. Generation Y, born between 1984 and 1996, and Generation Z, born after 1997, have a distinct internal signature propelling Balinese creativity to new and exciting levels. Artists Dewa Gede Raka Jana Nuraga, aka Rakajana and Putu Surya Dharma Putra, aka Surya, portray the current era of the Balinese entrepreneurial spirit. They reveal how self-confidence and a stoic work ethic is key to realizing potential and generating opportunities.
“I began drawing as a child. While at elementary school, I was exposed to Japanese culture and Manga cartoons. From 2008 I was inspired by global pop culture via the internet and Facebook. I didn’t wish to follow the traditional path. I wanted to explore something vaster to energize and allow my creativity to flourish,” Rakajana told The Jakarta Post.
“In 2010, I learned to scan my drawings and use CorelDRAW software on computers at the local Warnet. After helping a friend sell his designs printed on T-shirts online, I realized I could follow this path too,” said Rakajana, who was born in Tampaksiring, Central Bali, in 1991. “My first professional design project taught me I must improve my technical abilities. From Google, I learned about international logo design standards. I then introduced a daily discipline of sketching to develop my skills. Two months later, my next logo design project was a commercial success.”
“I purchased my first computer, Photoshop and Illustrator, later that year. In 2015 I envisioned building a business and invited friends to join in. I rented a studio for two years in Denpasar until the pandemic hit. I then focused on developing my online presence with a website and social media, and opportunities flooded in,” he explained. Late in 2020, Rakajana opened HNS Studio in Tampaksiring with twelve designers, including 10 in-house.
Powerful imagination merged with Manga influences to transform cultural icons into the fantastic and futuristic. The mythological realm comes alive in fresh, uber-cool imagery irresistible to the younger generations, becoming a hallmark of international pop culture. Rakajana has over 30,000 Instagram followers. Eighty percent of HNS Studio’s international orders come from America. The designs adorn T-shirts, enamel pins, posters, merchandise and YouTube videos.
A freelance illustrator and contemporary painter, Putu Surya Dharma Putra in May exhibited a large digital print on a suede fabric wall hanging titled "Shakti Samhara" (2021) at an exposition of emerging Indonesian artists in Denpasar. The superb image fuses Balinese iconography and narrative with surreal and abstract aesthetic elements. Rich with vision tension, colour and verve, the work is visually fresh and exciting and a highlight of the exhibition. "From a young age, I was fascinated by drawing and loved learning. I follow in these footsteps while being motivated by friends passionate about painting, graphic design and modern iconography. As a designer, a wealth of inspiration is found on the internet," Surya told me.
