Jembrana, Bull Racing Center

I Ketut Surung
A Creator and Mentor

Ten days after the American people were celebrating the Independence day on July, 4, 1939, there was born a baby in the village of Tegalcangkring, Jembrana in West Bali whose name was I Ketut Surung. He has spent his own childhood with his family and relatives in the village. As like other Balinese, he is a farmer by profession and artist through talent. Ketut Surung helped his father cultivating the rice field after schooling time at the primary school located nearby his home. He loves to dance as a dancing mate for a folk dance locally known as “bungbung gebyog”, the dance derived from women pounding rice on wooden rice ponders. His father has racing buffalo, and young; I Ketut Surung always followed his father to visit the buffalo race. Manic? It will be not a wrong answer, on the other hand, I Ketut Surung loves painting.

He left his own home village for higher study in Tabanan town, 75 Km’s east of Negara, the capital town for Jembrana regency. He got a chance to manage a school library; a lot of books read, especially books on literature. He started to send poems to Suara Indonesia (now Bali Post).
After passing the exam in Tabanan, he went to continue higher study, Senior High School at Saraswati Foundation in Denpasar. He continued his talent both in poems and painting. He has studied literature at the Faculty of Literature Udayana University under guidance of the rector, Ida Bagus Mantra, the former governor of Bali, so Ketut Surung had a better chance to send his poems to Gelora Magazine in Surabaya. Purbatjaraka and Professor Ngurah Bagus were his lecturers. He still remember two of his friends: Sutaba and Wayan Bawa. Ketut Surung the two main figures in literature field: Chairil Anwar (poet) and Kirjo Mulyo (short story writer).
Because of the lack of school fees, he escaped to Lombok to attend a short course (one year being candidate for county leader). He started his career as a public servant and county leader at Mendoyo in his own home village. Before being retired, the last position was the department head of social and cultural field in the Jembrana authority. During his career, he involved himself in cultural activities. In 1968, he founded the first panting school named “Sanggar Nirarta”, in the village of Yeh Embang along with the master painter artist, I Gusti Putu Windya Anaya. In 1970 – s he was a member of Ijo Gading painting school based in the village of Dauhwaru in the capital town, Negara. Ketut Surung is also an actor in Balinese Drama Gong and was very proud of being awarded the second champion in the festival of Bali State Culture Institution (Lembaga Kesenian Nasional).
After being retired, he got positions as ; the main figure in Cultural Development Institution (Listibiya) and Jembrana Consulative Committee of Tourism (Bapparda); active and mentorship for traditional art such as ; leko dance, jamintoro, genggong, and pareret. In the tourism field, he had experience working at Bumi Membawa Ceria Restaurant, Perancak Recreational Park, hence Ketut Surung is working at Suar Agung Foundation, in the village of Sangkaragung, the foundation concern is on cultural tourism, and the jegog performance.
Ketut Surung was born to be free in creation and recreation in art and culture. Ketut Surung is a creator and mentor. He is also a talk-active, please share with him at the Suar Agung Foundation. (BTN/Lanus Sumatra)