Element Art Space presents the first Singapore solo exhibition of Balinese artist: Made Sukadana. The exhibition will consist of 13 artworks.

Sukadana, who lives in both Bali and Yogyakarta, remains obsessed with the journey towards one’s self. In the surging tide of Indonesian contemporary art which celebrates the mundane-exploration towards Balinese traditional roots, Sukadana became the pioneer of ‘Bali Abstract-Expressionism.’ On large canvases, lines, sketches and visual images are liberally drafted and the sweep of the paint brush’s massive curls are enriched by overflowing color. In the Millenium series, liberal scratches and notches undergo reduction and crystallization to present textures that are similar to reliefs in the Hindu temples. The canvases become the event and site of freedom in expressing visual idioms and ancient lore of Bali.

Balinese culture has been experiencing a long process of transformation that has produced various concepts and highlighted achievements. Since a decade ago, Balinese art has been viewed ‘exotic’ and many artists abandon Balinese lore and tradition for fashionable theme on socio-political issues. This has left some Balinese visual artists dealing with the stigma, one of whom was Made Sukadana. Interacting with the Barong mask performance since an early age, his sentiment of this traditional celebration are subsequently manifested in his forthcoming creative arts. From there, he regained his conviction to re-read the root of his indigenous tradition. He presents the Barong, called Banaspati Raja (Covarrubias, 1973: 332) a symbol of king that reigns over the forest, the natural world and its content.

Sukadana has been widely collected in the region and his works can be found in institutions such as Kembang Jati Foundation (Indonesia), Dr Oei Hong Djien Museum (Indonesia) and the Istana Art Collection (Singapore).

Image: © Made Sukadana, Element Art Space