The paintings by the great artist the late Made Wianta are exhibited at Sudakara ArtSpace, Sudamala Resort, Sanur. The exhibition with the theme “Whispering Calligraphy” will take place one and a half months starting from August 28 to September 30, 2023. “Sudakara is honored to be able to exhibit the artwork of the late Made Wianta. His works are very interesting and recognized internationally,” said Chief Operating Officer of Sudamala Resort, Ricky Putra, on the sidelines of the exhibition opening, Monday (Aug 28).

The painting exhibition featuring 18 works by the late talented artist Made Wianta is a clear example where non-understanding on the meaning of language does not make enjoying the beauty of writing impossible. Made Wianta’s painting style is always evolving and can be accepted by people of all ages. This artist did not only paint, but every single activity he did is a cultural movement.  “Made Wianta is an inspiration that can cross generations. In local terms, perhaps it could be called ‘moksha.’ “His works still feel relevant today,” said Ricky Putra.

Meanwhile, a cultural observer who is also the Director of Sudamala Resort, Putu Suasta, stated that Made Wianta is one of the proud painters of Bali and Indonesia. Wianta’s calligraphy works with struck brush techniques and splashes of amazing colors look highly compromised when building space in a two-dimensional medium. The Japanese characters like Kanji, Katakana and Hiragana are an inseparable source of inspiration. “As an Asian spirit, Wianta feels to be called to cultivate the beauty of Japanese calligraphy into a work of fine art,” he said.

In the meantime, Intan Kirana Wianta explained that the inspiration for the work “Whispering Calligraphy” occurred in 1985 when Made Wianta visited Fukuoka, Japan, accompanying the Governor of Bali, Ida Bagus Mantra, on a cultural visit. There, Made Wianta was amazed to see the Edo Palace with Japanese calligraphy paintings. At that time, he visited Zen Calligrapher and tried to express calligraphy with brush, ink and paper. Then, the results received praise from Master Zen Calligrapher.

The master even thought if Made Wianta had Japanese blood. Since then, Made Wianta has trained his hands and concentration to create calligraphy that is not just writing, but also painting. Wianta felt that every beautiful letter can make a sound like the signs in a song, so before he put his brush on canvas, Wianta always meditated on the mixture of the brush in the ink as taught by Master Zen Calligrapher. “In the moment of silence, Wianta heard whispering calligraphy, like the whisper of wind, air and water, which then became a beautiful rhythm written on the canvas from the whispering calligraphy,” said the wife of the late Made Wianta.

Made Wianta born on December 20, 1949 studied at the Indonesian School of Fine Arts (SSRI) Denpasar, then continued to the Indonesia School of Fine Arts (STSRI) or ASRI which is currently known as the Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. Apart from studying classical puppet style of Balinese painting in Kamasan, Klungkung, Made Wianta also deepened his painting skills in Brussels, Belgium around the 1970s. (BTN/015)