Neka Museum and Books

For innumerable times, Neka Museum launched its latest book on Sunday (17/7). No half-heartedly, it launched three books at the same time. Garret Kam, Prof. Dr. Neil Leiper and Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa write those books.

Book by Garret Kam ‘SENI LUKIS’ (Berinspirasikan Alam dan Budaya Bali) or Art of Painting: Inspired by Nature and Balinese Culture is translated into Japanese by Chika Yamakami and Kiyoshi Naruse. This book recounts about paintings of Neka Museum collection. Garret Kam, a Hawaii-born, completed his Master degree in Fundamentals of Asian History, Arts, Dance-drama and Music, at East-West Centre University Honolulu, Hawaii. He once lived for several years to learn the art of Javanese music in Yogyakarta. He first came to Bali (1980) as tourist and in 1988 he permanently lived in Ubud and assists Neka Museum when making exhibition at home or abroad. He is also active in writing book and other publications, amongst them, Perceptions of Paradise, From Ritual to Romance, The Development of Painting in Bali and Ramayana in the Arts of Asia.
While, the book of Prof. Dr. Neil Leiper entitled THE NEKA ART MUSEUM: A Study of a Successful Tourist Attraction in Bali constitutes the result of his research presented as academic paper in Tourism in Asia conference in Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Neil Leiper is a professor in Tourism Management at Southern Cross University (Australia).
Neil’s book does not discuss about culture, but observes Neka Museum as one of tourist attraction. Through professional management system, in fact, it brings the museum to the most visited by foreign tourists. “This success is expected to become an example of other similar museums in Bali,” he said.
Book by Tjokorda Kerthyasa “SAKSI TINTA (Ekspresi Seni Prose, Syair dan Puisi)” or INK WITNESS (Expression of Prose, Quatrain and Poetical Arts) carries short articles and some pictorial illustrations by Kerthyasa. An Ubud-born on 29 September 1954, Kerthyasa is the son of Tjokorda Gede Ngurah, a noble of Ubud who is also a celebrated man of letters in his time.
Kerthyasa once studied at Department of Fine Arts, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University (Denpasar), but he finally completed his study at Academy of Fine Arts in Australia. He also actively involves in socio-political organization in his region,
Neka Art Museum was opened to public in 1976, but it just inaugurated by Minister of Education and Culture of RI, Dr. Daoed Joesoef on 7 July 1982. On the beginning of its establishment the museum had merely 45 paintings. Nowadays, in its age of 23, its collection has increased to 350 paintings.
An interesting point of this museum is its management system. For those who have not understood the development of Bali’s art of painting, in relatively short time, can get to know the passage of Bali’s fine arts that is so lengthy and snaky. Neka Museum belonging to Pande Wayan Suteja Neka is located at Sanggingan, Ubud, namely some 7 km from Gianyar city and 25 km from Denpasar.
Since its establishment and up to current times, Neka Museum has published 14 books in Bahasa Indonesia, English and Japanese. According to Suteja Neka, the publication in English of his books is due to English is the language of the world, while another in Japanese because guests that visit Neka Museum are mostly Japanese. In 2004, for instance, Japanese tourist visit reached the highest number, namely some 75% and averagely 100 guests per day.(BTN/Gung Man)

Sudiarta and His Painting Model

Another Balinese young painter made a solo exhibition in Singapore. By expressing the dynamic movement of Balinese traditional dance, Wayan Sudiarta (36) displayed his works on the wall of ‘The Aryaseni Art Gallery,’ Singapore recently.
Wayan Sudiarta who is also a lecturer of fine arts at Singaraja Teacher’s Training College, is fond of conveying movement of Balinese dance on his canvas since through this activity he gets innumerable satisfaction on painting. “Of course, I am also motivated by desire to preserve the Balinese dance,” he said.
Both local and foreign painters admire Balinese dancer, from time immemorial up to these days, as model of their painting. But for Wayan Sudiarta, it is not the dancer he highlights as straight model. “For me, the most attractive is the dance movement itself. Just have a look at, how expressive those movements are that are capable of inspiring my creativity in creating captivating composition of painting,” he said while adding, his painting looked different from the similar ones of other painter that took advantage the model of dancer.
Capturing the movement of Balinese dance is assuredly not easy for other painters, but for Wayan Sudiarta, it is not too complicated. Moreover, if he’s seen that he lives within the art of dancing community, namely Peliatan Village, Ubud.
Painting of dancer expressed on his canvas looks so natural. Fashion and accessory of the dancer is portrayed down-to-earth, even ornament or motif of dancer’s cloth is realistically evoked. But, emphasis of his painting still highlights the movement of the dance that is so piquant.
Wayan Sudiarta, father of two children, originally deeply involved Balinese traditional painting of Ubud style. For that purpose, he diligently learned from his grandfather, Wayan Djudjul and from his father, Wayan Gandera. He was also much inspired by painter Wayan Barwa and Nyoman Daging who have traditional Ubud painting style. Subsequently, having graduated from the study at Fine Arts Department, Faculty of Teacher’s Training and Educational Studies, Udayana University in Singaraja, his works turned to modern style.
Converting to paint in modern style, did not automatically wipe out this traditional style that has been deeply involved since his childhood. Probably, it would be accurately said that he now paints in modern technique, but persists in painting Balinese traditional objects like Balinese dances.
Painting works of Wayan Sudiarta make an effort to present new things so the traditional and modern styles as if coalesced on his canvas piece. This obviously seen from his paintings like Baris and Red Hibiscus, Legong Lasem, Baris Jago and Baris Gede.
As painter, Wayan Sudiarta has held exhibition for several times, either solo or co-organized. Outside Bali, he once exhibited his works in Jakarta (Mandiri Plaza Jakarta) and lately, in Singapore. (BTN/Gung Man)