Memori Kosmik (Cosmic Memory), forged from the stone of Indonesia’s most active volcano, Mount Merapi, is an imposing, figurative sculpture standing over two meters high. It depicts an astronaut designed as a mythic Hindu god: one hand clutches a globe of the earth, the other raised in a sacred mudra. Its golden, luminescent visor, reflecting peripheral light, adds to its galactic, otherworldly presence.
Hauntingly beautiful, mysterious, and compelling, Balinese contemporary artist Agus Putu Suyadnya’s creation was a highlight of ‘Lelampahan: Penjelajahan ke Semesta Diri’ (A Journey into the Universe of the Self), his solo exhibition of paintings and sculptures, showcased from 9 – 24 August 2026, at KINIKO Gedung C, Kalipakis, Tirtonirmolo, Bantul, Yogyakarta. Timely, thought-provoking, and poignant; viewed through a lens focused on humanity’s dystopian future trajectory, Suyadnya’s introspective enigma is arguably one of the most significant Balinese 3D contemporary artworks of the new millennium.
Suyadnya has consolidated his voice within the Indonesian art world through his astronaut character, the focal point of his painterly compositions set within radiant natural landscapes. Memori Kosmik, however, is the artist’s first large-scale sculptural work. His character does not narrate humanity’s journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere, yet stands as an inward-facing parable. The artwork’s multiple interpretations also references the Balinese Hindu philosophy of Bhuana Agung (the macrocosm) and Bhuana Ali (the microcosm), revealing the relationship not as two opposing worlds or separate entities, but as two facets of the same reality, depicting the cosmos as a map of the human body.
Kosmik Memori – Agus Putu Suyadyna
The astronaut theme evolved during the pandemic. “This figure has appeared in my work for nearly six years. I saw this unique opportunity as the perfect moment to crystallize the knowledge and inner experiences I gathered during that era by creating a monumental sculpture to serve as a testament to it,”Suyadnya told LifeAsArtAsia. “The Lelampahan exhibition represents a narrative fragment born of reflections on a journey, with this sculpture serving as its marker.”
“I chose stone as the medium as it functions perfectly with layered meanings. I was assisted throughout the process—from sourcing the stone to the final finishing—by a team from Sanggar Paramita, a stone artisan workshop in Muntilan, Megalang, Central Java. We initially faced challenges finding a stone of this size. Subsequently, the carving and finishing took three months to complete.”
“This statue represents the human being, depicted with four arms to symbolize the immense capabilities of modern humanity—specifically the intellectual and mental powers that have brought us to our current stage of development. The hands hold various symbolic objects: a globe, representing the ego held within one’s grasp; rudraksha beads, symbolizing unbroken knowledge; and a lotus flower, symbolizing wisdom. Here, ego and knowledge are governed by wisdom; consequently, knowledge grounded in wisdom inevitably fosters peace, blessings, and protection for humanity and the natural world—a concept illustrated by the hands positioned in a gesture of blessing. The figure stands upon a lotus pedestal, representing the *buana agung* (macrocosm) that supports the *buana alit* (microcosm). This arrangement invites contemplation on the fact that, despite all our human capabilities and prowess, we are nothing without the universe.”
Born in 1985 in Denpasar, Bali, Suyadyna’s visual memory and aesthetic sensibility were shaped by the island’s landscapes, art traditions, rituals, and unique view of nature. In 2003, he relocated to Yogyakarta and studied fine art at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta (2003–2010), where he developed his practice of modern painting while continuing to draw from tradition, fully occupying the canvas space in his visually rich, detailed compositions. Living in Yogyakarta and venturing into Central Java exposed him to ancient Javanese sculptural relics at the iconic temples of Borobudur, Prambanan, and many others, which influenced the evolution of his visual language.
In ‘Lelampahan: Penjelajahan ke Semesta Diri’, Suyadnya delivers a powerful message through painting and sculpture—complementary yet contrasting artistic languages. His paintings are alive with the natural elements of light, space and ambience, contained by the limits of the two-dimensional canvas. His narrative scenarios shift from one intimate experience to another, with the focal character both a passive observer and one involved in physical relationships, seemingly in dialogue and in harmonic association with nature. Kosmic Memori, however, is a beguiling, illusory 3D form, both vibrant and static, appearing physically lifelike, yet rendered motionless in time and space by the ancient grounding potency of stone.
“The history of the astronaut is a history of expansion: the drive to discover what lies beyond the horizon, to reach other planets, and to extend the boundaries of human habitation. In this sense, the astronaut embodies a human desire that is both ancient and thoroughly modern: the urge to keep moving outward, to recognise and comprehend that which exists beyond the self.” Writes Balinese curator Made Susanta Dwitanaya in the exhibition catalogue.
Painting by Agus Putu Suyadyna
Suyadyna, however, offers a pressing narrative that helps rewrite the disempowering, outdated belief held by Western society that humanity is powerless, subject to the overriding forces of the external natural realm, and unable to redirect its collective future. His artistic statement reflects a universal, limitless aspect of human consciousness, offering hope for the new world. The artist’s solution is inspired by ancient spiritual wisdom – to go within – or we shall go without.
Instagram: agusputusuyadnya
Images courtesy: Agus Putu Suyadyna
Words: Richard Horstman
life as art asia 