Opening Tumbuh Rimpang
November 29, 2024
Cosmic Energy
Wayan Karja
Exhibition
Ripples: Dialogue in the Flux of Artistic Creation
Artist
Wayan Karja
Written by
Krisna Sudharma
Wayan Karja’s art stands as a testament to the enduring vitality of Balinese abstraction, adapted and expanded through thoughtful and reflective intellectual attempt
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In “Cosmic Energy,” Wayan Karja explores the concept of the universe’s vast force through an engaging visual dialogue. This dialogue is primarily mediated by the interplay of light, achieved through the use of layers of reflective reflective golden splashes. This dynamic artwork is divided into three distinctive phases, each representing a separate temporal stage: beginning, middle, and end. The structure of the piece is such that it comprises a triptych, with the pivotal canvas being the central visual keystone, framed by its companions. The fiery red that engulfs the periphery serves not merely as a backdrop but as an integral component that propels the central active circle, a representation of the life force, into sharper focus.
In essence, “Cosmic Energy” is a synthesis of the cosmic and the cultural—a canvas that stretches beyond the bounds of the conventional to bridge the esoteric Balinese philosophies with the modern canvas. Wayan Karja’s art stands as a testament to the enduring vitality of Balinese abstraction, adapted and expanded through thoughtful and reflective intellectual attempt.
The piece stands as a visual metaphor of the universe’s boundless vigor and the essence of creation itself—embodying an arena devoid of recollection and temporality, offering instead an expanse of pure experience and spatial infinity. Karja captures this notion of the universe and its generative energy with an intensity that both evokes awe and invites contemplation. As Karja himself asserts, Balinese art, known for its intricacy, patterned richness, and potent narratives, set him on a path of philosophical exploration. This journey cultivated in him a profound engagement with cross-cultural dialogues, leading to a harmonious fusion of the Dewata Nawa Sanga colour palette—the nuanced palette of the Balinese Hindu Mandala— with contemporary Western painting techniques. The color wheel plays a pivotal role in Karja’s method, acting as a tool through which he experiments with and navigates the relationship between colors. This manipulation of colors gives rise to forms—both explicit and ambiguous—that stir the imaginative potential of the observer.
Karja’s compositional scheme, deeply entrenched in Balinese tradition, incorporates iconic, symbolic, and non-symbolic elements, each resonating with the profound philosophical and spiritual dimensions of Bali’s cultural essence. The evolution of Karja’s style illustrates an intellectual pursuit, an unwavering commitment to distill the essence of his work into a purer, more spiritually resonant form.
