I Gede Sukarya

I Gede Sukarya (b. 1995) was born in the old village of Bulian, Buleleng. His modest upbringing nurtured an early sensitivity towards artistic portraiture. His interest in painting emerged during his primary school years, where he actively took part in competitions that led him to the provincial level. To further develop his artistic practice, he moved to Gianyar–Denpasar, continuing his studies at a vocational arts school before pursuing a Fine Arts degree at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Denpasar on a scholarship. Throughout his time in university, he engaged in extensive material exploration.

Sukarya’s works draw inspiration from daily life, customs, and cultural practices. Through his explorative studies, he discovered Seni Tatah, a traditional Balinese craft found in barong, rangda, and wayang costumes. This encounter profoundly influenced his artistic direction, leading him to adopt cowhide as his primary medium.

Titel :LAUTKU

The tradition of Balinese shadow puppetry (wayang kulit) continues to flourish within Balinese society, inseparable from the deep interweaving of customary practices and the island’s evolving belief systems. At the same time, Bali’s tourism is profoundly connected to the island’s striking marine ecology. Feeling a personal closeness to the sea, Sukarya draws upon the forms of marine life commonly found in Bali as a visual vocabulary in his work.

His inspiration further deepened after encountering the works of Gusti Nyoman Deblog, one of Bali’s eminent maestros, whose distinctive depictions of marine creatures strengthened Sukarya’s resolve to keep borrowing again and again from what nature has already created.

Size : 80 x 140 cm

Medium : Acrylic on cowhide

2025