Born in 1976 in Ubud, Bali, I Made Arya Palguna first learned painting under his father, I Ketut Sudana, a well-known painter in his own right. He received his Bachelors degree from ISI Yogyakarta in 1996 and he has lived in Yogyakarta since. A versatile artist, his distinctive style appears in his paintings, sculptures and other three-dimensional objects, and installation art, even performance art and murals. He has exhibited extensively in Indonesia and abroad. His most recent solo exhibition was “the Isle of Bliss” at LVS Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (2012). He has received many commissions (for murals and performance art works) and has been invited to various workshops, fellowships, and residency programs, most recently at Muong’s Cultural Museum, Vietnam (2012). He is a two-time finalist of the Philip Morris Art Awards (2011, 2012) and finalist at the Indofood Art Awards (2002).

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background as an artist?

I was born in Ubud, where the customs and traditions are still preserved. Art is a daily life that cannot be separated from the lives of the Ubud community where I am part of it. I have had the dream to be a painter since I was little.

I started learning and knowing about painting since childhood. Especially traditional Balinese painting, under the guidance of my father. From the beginning of the process until it becomes a work, the whole thing is under his guidance. My father himself was a traditional Balinese Ubud style painter and had received guidance from Rudolf Bonnet then.

I learned the traditional art of painting from elementary school to junior high school. After that, I went to a fine arts secondary school in Denpasar. Since then, I became familiar with modern painting, both in theory and practice.

I went to fine arts school for 4 years, then I continued to the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta. During this period, I began to feel all the processes and thoughts about contemporary arts. The search for character and identity became very important in college. As those students studied at ISI came from various regions in Indonesia. Thus, the competition and quality test between students became very competitive. Because I moved out from Bali to pursue my study in Yogyakarta, I was determined to succeed in achieving my goals.

God blesses all my efforts in art in Yogyakarta. I completed my bachelor’s degree in 8 years, in a quite long time. As during college, I also started a family as well as participating in exhibition events outside campus.

I graduated in 2004, have a family with 4 children. During 1996 – 2017 I lived and worked in a studio in Jogjakarta. In 2017 I moved to Bali with my family. In creating my artwork, I work in 2 places, in a Bali studio and a Jogjakarta studio.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

In general, the concept of my work is universal, it focuses more on the relationship between humans, nature and animals. In my opinion, this relationship is very close and full of warmth, familiarity, cuteness, and also problems. However, I visualize this concept with a satirical style, humour and tends to be absurd.

The existence of Balinese traditional values and religious rituals embedded in everyday life, also becomes an idea for a work where these values are a mirror/comparative tool to the current situation. Those symbols are common symbols and easy for the public to understand.

I might use various painting materials, such as acrylic, charcoal pencil, Contè pencil, or spray paint on canvas. It all depends on when and where the work was done. The desire to explore different mediums is also an attraction for me in its process.

I believe that as long as the character of my work is still visible, this is not a problem. Because the personal character that is visible in the work is a symbol.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to create new work?

I could be defined as a workaholic, as those ideas are almost come up every day. Everything can be a trigger for an idea of a work in my mind. So, I might save it either in a book or in my smartphone’s memory. Because at one time, I might create those ideas into reality.

Besides being a father and head of the family, they’re many other problems that can be raised as an idea of a work. One special thing for me, my wife born and raised as part of Batak tribe, that has similarities and differences with Bali.

This is an advantage that can be used as an idea for a work, both in terms of culture and customs. Because of these trivial things around, an idea can emerge, where I project it in viewing the surrounding environment. Then, I describe something with my perspective and at the same time place myself as an object. Therefore, I often use visuals of family as an object.

I also like reading books, whether novels, biographies or histories of countries as well as watching movies and listening to music. The contents of a book or the lyrics of a song could become an idea for a work for me or a film scene would be very meaningful to me. So, there are many things that can inspire me outside of my activities as head of a family, community member and artist.

I tend to use different materials in visualizing these ideas. Not only on canvas but also in sculpture and installation works. I really enjoy all of those processes. Using different materials makes me more flexible in processing ideas. For example my painting artworks, I create it in series because of the different materials used. Or paintings that I create into three dimensions/sculptures, either fiberglass or bronze sculptures. The rotation and process make me have an expansion of ideas so that they will never run out to be explored.

I often think of my creative process as being like a music band. Where there is a process of demo, recording, mixing, and launching. It is a pleasure in itself when launching a solo exhibition showcasing new ideas, techniques and materials that are different from previous exhibitions. Even so, the character and identity of the work have to be visible.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?

The challenge I have faced was when there was an art bomb in Indonesia. Around 2000 and 2008. At that time, contemporary works from China influenced Indonesian artists, especially young artists. Collectors and galleries also tended to glance at these works.

While I was not affected by the Chinese contemporary art fever at that time. So it’s a challenge to be able to survive with my own character that I have. As I belief that it will eventually pass because the trend is only short-lived.

From then on, I started to get around this by trying to regularly hold solo exhibitions every year. This aims to offer new ideas that I have, and also show that I am still active amidst the crowd of young artists.

If we just wait for an invitation from a gallery or art dealer to exhibit, the opportunity seems small. Apart from that, I also participated in art residencies in several countries in Asia and Europe to broaden my knowledge and relationships. The longest residency was at MMCA Seoul for 5 months in 2012. The residency at that time was the Asia Pacific Art Residency program, which was attended by 12 countries from all over the world. In addition, there were several residencies, workshops and art fairs that I participated in, including in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Hungary, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In what ways do you think the art world has changed since you started your career?

Yes, the world of art has changed greatly along with technological developments. I remember the first time I won the Nokia Art Award Asia in Singapore in 2000. I was new to this and getting a Nokia cellphone as a prize at that time was a source of pride. There was no WhatsApp or video call yet. You can only make calls and chat messages.

Now, everything is available and accessible. There is WhatsApp, video call, Google Map and many other features. Likewise in the world of art, everything can be studied, traced and imitated. An artist’s idea can be the same as the idea of another artist in a different country. Adopting each other, imitating trends and becoming a universal diversity. I think it’s a drastic change due to technology.

Now an idea is not only ours but might be belong to other artists, only the visual execution is different. That’s why it seems like artists have a tendency to follow trends because they have the same, global thinking. The art market and galleries are becoming lively with exhibitions and art fairs with trending works. Exhibitions, sales or auctions are also carried out online in addition to offline.

But there are still positives and negatives for young artists in today’s era. The advancement of technology has made competition increasingly crowded. Young artists must take advantage of these conveniences to be able to move forward because now is their era.

Personally, it all depends to the artist in addressing this issue. As long as we work sincerely, with a strong character of work and actively participating in exhibitions/workshops/residencies, we will be able to survive and not get swept away by the current of trends. In each process, every artist must reflect on themselves, not other artists.

What advice would you give to emerging artists trying to establish themselves?

My advice as an artist for young artists is to remain confident in yourself, explore your potential without giving up. College is only a stepping stone to gain knowledge and art theory. But experiences and activities outside campus will further strengthen you to become an independent artist. Utilize technology and social media as a support in the process of creating artwork. Ups and downs in the flow of art are normal and might occur in every era. To be able to survive in that flow is the important factor. Confidence and belief are the keys.

Text & photo courtesy of I Made Arya Palguna

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