Ketut Budiana

Bali’s Bomb Blast of 12 October 2002 has inspired a Balinese modern painter, Mr. Made Wianta (54), as shown in his single exhibition held since 15 March – 15 May 2003 in Gaya Gallery, Ubud, and based on a theme of “Dream Land”. Wianta has shown some works reflecting extremely great fears by installation and video arts.

n atmosphere of great fear and disgust impresses visitors as soon as they enter the very dark exposition room. Strange smells and bloody sights will be experienced throughout the room, intensified by a commotion in the following room of several men and women singing songs of death, encircling the site of exposition. After this darkness, follows a series of flashlights enabling visitors to see pictures of bloodbaths in a dry condition, also with some dry blood in small bowls.
Born in Apuan Village (Baturiti, Tabanan), Wianta has been interested in painting since childhood in a family sphere that provided him with the freedom to determine his own life. Such freedom stemmed from the attitudes of his father known in the village as a pemangku temple priest. Another positive factor for Wianta’s choice of profession is the local natural charm.
His interest in painting stimulated Wianta to study at ‘ASRI’ Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Yogyakarta, Central Java. Thereafter, he wandered throughout Asia and Europe. His diary noted that he even stayed for some time in Belgium. He has at last settled in Karangasem, where he has applied surrealism in painting, and is well known as a great Indonesian painter.
Nevertheless, the energetic Wianta is never satisfied with what he has attained so far. Although at times criticised for this, he sometimes doesn’t paint in a surrealist way but with a pointillist approach. Nevertheless, he has never paid any attention to what others think of his methods.
Wianta has up to now drawn tens of thousands of sketches, paintings, and has even written some poetry. While he has been abroad and around Indonesia he has staged exhibitions showing installation art amongst others relating to themes of “Forest and (Ecological) Environment“ (1999), “Voice and Environment” (1997), “Happening Art of Water, Fire, and Air” (1995), and “Art and Peace“(1999).
Wianta’s creative works in combination with socio-cultural orientation has led him to gain some worthy acknowledgment, such as the title “Professor” from the Corresponding Academician Department, Arts Academia Intern, Greci-Marino Academia del Valbano, Italia (1996), “Dharma Kusuma” Certificate awarded by Bali’s Provincial Government. Gung Man