Richard Horstman
Artist Agung Pramana Questions Colonial Propaganda Narratives & Imagery
Three hundred and thirty-six blue and white cyanotype prints, 20 by 15cm, arranged floor to ceiling within a 6-meter-deep by 5-meter-wide alcove of the Jogja National Museum (JNM), distinguish *After Exotic 1931*, a contemporary art installation by Balinese printmaker Agung Pramana. Immediately captivating, Pramana’s visual formula pulsates. Reproduction archival images, Balinese sculptures of mythical creatures,
The Mystical Homecoming of Contemporary Artist Gede Austana
A blindfolded “fractured” skull is engulfed in flames, with both halves distinguished by text. ‘This Is All I Know’ is a confession of frustration and hopelessness in a vibrant pop-meets-street-art style. Painted by Balinese-German artist Gede Austana, it is an emotional response to the racial discrimination he often endures, and was a highlight of the
DERAU dan KEMARAU, Noise and Drought Make Way For Compelling Art At Project Etere’s Ubud Residence
A secret to successfully conveying artistic ideas to an audience is the artist’s ability to economise their visual design language. “Less is more” is a creative philosophy that emphasises the value of austerity and minimalism. By reducing unnecessary elements in an art composition, the artist can achieve greater clarity and effectiveness in communication. One of
Megapapan: A Highlight of Artistry.Bali’s Artisan Fair at Ubud’s SIKA Gallery
The rise of digital illustrators is a burgeoning phenomenon in the contemporary art and creative spheres of Bali and Indonesia. This was especially emphasised during the COVID pandemic when the global physical art infrastructure shut down and the virtual world flourished. Illustration is a powerful visual design language which distinguishes itself from fine art by
Emerging Balinese Curator & Gallerist Krisna Sudharma Steps Out Onto the International Art Stage
NOW! Bali Magazine talks with Krisna Sudharma, curator and artistic director of Nonfrasa, a contemporary art gallery in Ubud, established in early 2021, during the second year of the pandemic. We reflect on Nonfrasa’s first five years of operation, Krisna’s vision, journey, and his collaboration with Desa Projects, culminating in Octopus 26: Melange, a group
“Hari Ini Aku Kembali Pulang” – Dayu Sartika Returns to the Bali Art Scene
An artist’s voice, their unique style which identifies them among their peers, is an essential aspect of a successful artist. For an emerging artist, young, talented, sensitive, ambitious, and impressionable, the journey of self-discovery in discerning who they are, what, and how they wish to express their creativity can be extremely difficult to unearth. A
Dodit Artawan’s Colorful Balinese Pop Art Creations
The avant-garde imagery of the Pop Art movement had a global impact and first emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States in the mid-1950s. Claes Oldenburg, a Swedish-born American Pop artist in 1961, penned a compelling manifesto, part of which reads, “I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other
Primitive Learning: Filippo Sciascia Merges Art, Technology & Nature
The Bali art scene is a unique and rich tapestry. A layered, multi-tiered, ever-evolving hybrid of local and national fine artists, artisans, and visiting and expatriate internationals. Filippo Sciascia, an Italian contemporary artist, has resided in Ubud for over twenty-five years. His relentless curiosity about the human experience has led him on a captivating journey
Balinese Artist Mangu Putra’s Momentary Blurring of a Historical Timeline
An archival Black & White photograph dated 20 September, 1906, depicts a transport boat, part of the naval forces of the Sixth Military Expedition of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army, anchored offshore of Sanur, Bali. Colonial machines of war, equipment, soldiers, and horses disembark into landing vessels bound for Padang Galak beach. Naval artillery
Bali Meets France: Fostering Cross-Cultural Exchange in Design
Bali is renowned for its rich traditional heritage and the exceptional creativity of its inhabitants. Its cultural icons blend nature’s offerings with human ingenuity, manifesting in sacred ritual implements, architecture, textiles, painting, sculpture and an array of implements for daily life. The island showcases human expression at the highest levels, with superb attention to detail,
Stigma Bali: Art Activism Collective Highlights Significant Social Issues
Social issues that impact upon and divide societies continue to receive increasing exposure from a new local contemporary art activism movement. A recent exhibition by the Stigma Bali collective, their third event since April 2023, was themed Discrimination. The exhibition closed at Joshua District, Kediri, Tabanan, on 4 May 2024. “Stigma is a collective exhibition
New Venues Highlight Ubud’s Evolving Art Infrastructure
Ubud’s art infrastructure continues to grow while distinguishing the area as Bali’s art and cultural heartland. Constantly progressing as new initiatives and the culmination of planning and hard work manifests into physical form, exciting new venues grant opportunities to the Balinese, Indonesian and foreign communities, not only economically but also by inspiring creativity and developing
How Ubud Open Studios is Helping to Revive Art Tourism in Bali
NOW! Bali Magazine talks with Mila Shwaiko, co-founder and director of Elami & Co, the organisational team behind the Ubud Open Studios (UOS), to learn more about the visionary programme. Visual art is one of the original cultural icons that, during the first wave of tourism, between 1920 and 1942, helped position Bali on the
