Gede Sukarya
I Gede Sukarya (b. 1995), was born in the ancient village of Bulian in Buleleng. The austere village surroundings influenced his propensity to arts, especially painting which bloomed intensely in elementary school, a creative journey that encouraged him to participate in numerous art competitions, from the local to the provincial level. To further his interest in arts, he relocated to Gianyar, continuing his studies at a vocational high school before residing in Denpasar for further studies at the Fine Arts Faculty of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Denpasar, following a scholarship. During his studies, he actively explored numerous mediums.
His works are roused by the dynamics and iconographies of everyday life, customs and culture. During his studies, he came across the classical Balinese art technique named seni tatah (chisel art), which represents an age-old technique in making sacred effigies of barong, rangda, and wayang. Sukarya utilizes cowhide as the principal medium to forward his artistry, especially to generate a contemporary perspective and unexplored aesthetics from a medium closely related to tradition.
In the eyes of Sukarya, his creativity departs from the hedonistic state of Balinese ornaments, transforming the intricacies into a simpler form that is more proximate to present realities. This approach allows his artworks to augment the viewer’s imaginative space, to look beyond the obvious in the construct of fantastical illusions and engaging experiences.
Favourite View #2