Kerry Pendergrast
“Windows to Nature”

Kerry Pendergrast was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1963. She is one of the artists who has been inspired by Bali. It is in Ubud that she began developing as an artist herself, attending and organising model sessions at Pranato’s Art Gallery (which belongs to her Indonesian husband, Pranoto). Since her first solo exhibition a decade ago, she has held many exhibitions in Indonesia and Australia.

From the varied landscapes of her birthplace in Western Australia, to the rich colours of Bali where she now calls home, artist Kerry Pendergrast offers up a celebration of the beautiful environments that are close to her heart. Working outside wherever she travels, as is her habit, allows Kerry to capture the changes of light and mood. “When you spend hours in the scene, you carry the essence and spirit of the image in detail with you always,” said this mother of two children.
Her use of soft pastel on sand paper enhances the colours of the pastel and allows each stroke to be seen in rich detail. For the first time, she is also showing some oil paintings on canvas, a new medium for Kerry, the textures of which she explores using brush and palette knife.
Much of the work featured is from Bali, Kerry’s home for the past fifteen years and an endless source of inspiration: the rice fields in all their seasons, the spectacular mountains of Bedugul with their pristine lakes, the temples set like jewels in the landscape and the tropical beaches of Amed, Sanur and Padang Bai.
Alongside these is a substantial collection of work done in Western Australia, her native home, capturing the spring flowers of the south west, the crystal clear beaches of Esperance and the forests and farms of Pemberton. The exhibition also includes additional works from Java and some done around the grounds of Alila Ubud itself where she holds her exhibition from 6/6 to 30/7. (BTN/008)

Metamorphosis of Barong from Tradition to Modification

There is something eye-catching at the solo exhibition of I Ketut Mastrum. He smartly explores the barong through the alluring art of painting. Objects are carefully touched with a myriad of different techniques, ranging from that of Batuan, Ubud (Pita Maha), Pengosekan, and from young artists up to the latest academician. Similarly, he shows off a variety of styles like realism, surrealism, abstract, figurative, impressionism and expressionism.

As a whole the works of Mastrum intensely reveal the theme of Balinese social tradition in relation to the Creator. Indeed, amid the daily painting activities, Mastrum is also a temple priest at Natar Sari Temple, Apuan Baturiti, Tabanan. His priesthood behavior confers a space to implement his inspiration, imagination and intuition as an innovative artist.
Precise details of eyes, teeth, face or tail as well as other parts of the body are made. A wide variety of symbolism encapsulates the surface object of his works. He has also developed the technique of hatching lines when he paints facial parts, the body and the objects requiring accurate details. His brush scratching expressively leaves the image of speed, agility and even rage.
Other than the figure of assorted barongs of his imagination or cultural empiricism, Mastrum also illustrates the energy of brush scratching, decorative details and truly vivid color. In his fourth solo exhibition, he exhibits the arts depicting the human form in a ‘deformative’ style.
Tens of creative barongs by the painter, I Ketut Mastrum are exhibited at Danes Art Veranda, Denpasar from 25 April to 16 May. This exhibition was inaugurated by Dr I Nyoman Catara, lecturer at the Indonesia Institute of Arts (ISI) Denpasar.
(BTN/015)