Category: Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art

Igniting Balinese cultural memory via Afghan Box Camera images

by Richard Horstman

Black and white photographs are making a resurgence within the ocean of Bali imagery circulating in cyberspace. Compelling pictures of yesteryear, describing the people and landscape, ignite nostalgia. Foreigners often yearn for ‘real Bali’, the pre-colonial era when the island was without modern influences. There is, however, a growing sentiment within the Balinese seeking change … Continue reading Igniting Balinese cultural memory via Afghan Box Camera images

English painter Bruce Sherratt: tropical surrealism & the power of the subconscious mind

by Richard Horstman

‘The Sacrament’, 2017 Bruce Sherratt. Pigment, cloth and oil on canvas. 300 x 200 cm Art, like the universe, is infinite. The perception and the processes of art-making may be as unique as the individual. Art ignites our senses as we interact with our inner and outer worlds. Nature’s power and beauty inform us through … Continue reading English painter Bruce Sherratt: tropical surrealism & the power of the subconscious mind

Emerging women artists on Bali

by Richard Horstman

‘Fantasy World of Mine’ 2021 – Dayu Sartika. Watercolour on paper. Bali’s distinct feminine energy is one of the foundations of the sacred and extraordinarily artistic traditional culture. Internationally revered for its potent and abundant lifeforce, a new generation of female Balinese and Indonesian creatives thrives on the island, increasingly independent and career orientated. Through … Continue reading Emerging women artists on Bali

Nus Salomo: pioneering 3D printing & design innovation with contemporary art imagination  

by Richard Horstman

7 ‘Moto Runner’ 2016 Nus Salomo, alluminum, 45 x 75 x 120. Image courtesy of Nus Salomo Digital technology has thrust open the door for 3D contemporary artists to offer greater value to society, especially within 3D printing. Jakarta based sculptor and multi-media artist Nus Salomo is pioneering design innovations into new and exciting fields. … Continue reading Nus Salomo: pioneering 3D printing & design innovation with contemporary art imagination  

La Salaga: a legend of two cultures immortalized in the Balinese Kamasan painting style

by Richard Horstman

‘La Salaga’ 2021 – by Balinese Kamasan master painter Made Sesangka Image Richard Horstman The La Salaga legend from West Sulawesi is an epic that rivals the fantastic Hindu tales from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. This distinct tale merging a new Islamic religious culture of Sulawesi with the Hindu’s of south Bali is, unfortunately, … Continue reading La Salaga: a legend of two cultures immortalized in the Balinese Kamasan painting style

Irene Febry’s artistic collaborations invite us to look closer

by Richard Horstman

‘AZIZA’ 2020 Exploring art on human body. Photograph by @govindarumi Muse @nkd.sentiments Emerging Indonesian artist Irene Febry’s collaborations with multi-disciplined creatives and the community construct beautiful layered collages that reflect our natural environment Creating an environment of cooperation as opposed to competition is the natural order of ecosystems.  Cocreation is the most potent and practical … Continue reading Irene Febry’s artistic collaborations invite us to look closer

Rio Saren parts with convention to forge fresh directions in Balinese painting

by Richard Horstman

‘Menata potongan kertas/Arranging paper cuttings’ 2021 – Rio Saren, mixed media on canvas, 190 x 250 cm. Artists are distinguished by their observation and awareness of the human experience and their ability to transform inspiration into engaging creative forms. During the past two decades, Rio Saren has experimented obsessively with colour, items and form, striving … Continue reading Rio Saren parts with convention to forge fresh directions in Balinese painting

Digitizing Balinese Iconography into the 21st-Century

by Richard Horstman

‘Balinese Demon’ – commissioned design by HNS Studio 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. The Balinese … Continue reading Digitizing Balinese Iconography into the 21st-Century

Swoofone: a glimpse into the future of contemporary Balinese art

by Richard Horstman

‘The Book of Infinite Knowledge’ 2020 – Swoofone Mixed media on wood. 120 x 175cm. ‘The Island of the Gods’ is an incomparable sensuous experience. Mysterious and captivating, our perception encounters fascinating visual and non-visible layers. Bali’s thriving artistic landscape increasingly contributes an aesthetically potent and relevant dimension. One young artist has recently impacted the … Continue reading Swoofone: a glimpse into the future of contemporary Balinese art

Cakravala: a new Indonesian cultural portal with vast horizons

by Richard Horstman

I am fascinated by the evolution of creativity within contemporary culture. We are living in exciting times and the pandemic has accelerated our human potential. I believe the artists and creatives lead the way. Their imagination, activities and questioning introduce society to new, functional experiential forms and technologies manifesting in a better world – a … Continue reading Cakravala: a new Indonesian cultural portal with vast horizons