Ida Bagus Martinaya:
A Versatile Artist

In Bali, artist Ida Bagus Martinaya is quite popular. The man who was born on the 31 March 1961. Besides working as a journalist, he is actively involved in theater, music, literature, and fine art. His art talent appeared as a little boy when he stayed at Kaliungu sub village, Denpasar. Under the guidance his grandfather, the late Ida Bagus Oka who skilled in puppet painting and Balinese traditional architecture, gained many valuable skills.

Besides painting, Martinaya also learnt how to read fluently at a young age. He spent most of his youth reading books and attending art performances. At Elementary School, he became the first winner in a composing competition in PORSENI (Sports and Arts Competition) in 1972, and also won a painting contest at the same event in 1973.
After graduating from elementary school, Martinaya continued his study to SMPN (Junior High School) 1 Denpasar. Under his teacher’s guidance, he improved his talent and skill well by firstly recognizing paintings on a canvas. At that time, he painted realism and surrealism. Besides that, he also began to write a children’s short story, in the Bali Post Newspaper (1975) entitled: “Oh Beni”.
Martinaya’s talent in art keeps improving. After finishing study at Junior High School, he preceded to SMAN (Senior High School) 2 Denpasar. The precision change of age influenced his arts preference. He became occupied in literature art and produced many literary works in forms of writings, such as short stories, and essays that were published in Bali Post Newspaper. He also sent many of his writings to a publisher in Jakarta. A novel entitled Benang-benang cinta was published in the teenage magazine HAI, Jakarta, in 1980. In that year, Martinaya started drawing comics and caricature, and his first comic was run also in the Bali Post Newspaper.
Besides actively writing, making caricature and comics, Martinaya is also interested in theatre. Actually, this wasn’t such a new thing within his life, because his father (IB. Anom Ranuara) was a traditional drama player and often performed in TV with his classical drama group. Latter, Martinaya joins in Kukuruyuk Theatre directed by Made Taro. At this theatre, he often played in TV as the main figure.
Latter on, in the year 1981, Martinaya founded his own theatre coupled with his friend. Martinaya acts as the player, scriptwriter and director.
His youthly spirit when flared up makes Martinaya’s talent soar to many art characteristics to supports his great talent. He then studied music under Ida Bagus Raka Teja, forming a band and vocal group at his school Liberty. Martinaya performs as the singer and guitarist. Outside the school, he also had a group named Trio PAM, changing to become Roger Step. In this group, he played with his two brothers, playing the bass and lead vocals.
His band performed the best-hit songs from The Police, Deep Purple, WHO, Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. In this era, he starts creating songs.
Graduating from Senior High School, Martinaya preceded to the Technique Faculty, Balinese Traditional Architecture Department University of Dwijendra Denpasar. However, because of personal reasons he didn’t finish collage, concentrating more seriously on journalism, theatre, and fine art. His achievement in arts improved during this time, winning 3rd place in drama script writing at the Faculty of Letter Udayana University in 1980, the top10 in drama script competition Faculty of Letter Udayana University in 1980, 2nd winner in article writing Bali Arts Festival in 1999, the 3rd best director in drama competition Faculty of Letter Udayana University in 1983 and 1985, the 1st best director in drama competition Faculty of Letter Udayana University in 1983, and so on.
Beside that, Martinaya has several times achieved awards in caricature, such as: 1st winner in BKKBN demography caricature at Nusa Dua in 1987, 1st winner in Family Planning amongst cartoonist media of all-Indonesia at Surabaya in 1991, and other achievements in the arts. Nowadays, Martinaya works as the editor the Bali Post Newspaper. His writing’s and cartoon work entitled Sangut-Delem fill the Bali Post page of a Sunday publishing under the name of its creator: Martin. Yes, Martin is the nickname of Ida Bagus Martinaya, the father of two daughters and the husband of Anak Agung Dewi Darmapatni. (BTN/Gung Man)

Fadjar Sidik, Contemporary Painter

Fadjar Sidik was born in Surabaya in 1930. His full involvement in artistic life started when he decided in 1952 to move to Yogyakarta to join a group of painters there. He completed his education at the Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI) in Yogyakarta. From 1957-1960 he lived in Bali. His painting depicts the daily life of the people and the landscape. In 1961 the painter Abas Alibasjah asked him back to Yogyakarta to give lectures at the Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI). Returning to Yogyakarta from Bali the artist moved into his old surroundings, and for the first time took up the idea of painting objects from the more abstract world of his own mind. Fadjar Sidik filled his new canvases with symbols, such as the cross, the moon, the stars, and the swastika from Bali, all of these being familiar from the various religious practices in Indonesia. This composition, the artist called “DYNAMIC IN SPACE”, symbolizing human beings from another life. In 1968 he was sent to New Zealand by the Department of Arts to study painting restoration and preservation. In 1967 he officiated as head of the Department of Fine Arts ASRI Yogyakarta. In 1971 Fadjar Sidik received Art Award “Piagam Hadiah Seni (Arts Reward Certificate)” from the Indonesian Government as one of Indonesia’s most gifted contemporary artists.
(Suteja Neka) Director of Dharma Seni Art Foundation which manages the Neka Art Museum, Ubud-Bali