Sunday, June 24, 2007
Painting as Pondering and Inspiration

Artist I Dewa Komang Mahadewa is remarkably creative. In the midst of his bustle as notary public, the man from Karangasem born on 5 March 1966 also makes time for painting. Making scratches on paper and canvas fills his daily activity. His artistic works have more sweet and attractive colors and sizing 30-40 cm. Meanwhile, the media he uses is acrylic paint on canvas in naturalistic and realistic style. The theme he exposes mostly pertains to Balinese traditional culture. Paintings of this kind are eminently favored by foreign visitors.

To Deko—as he familiarly called—painting is not only making scratches and filling them with colors, but also a contemplation and inspiration, so that his works possess a typical allurement. If displayed in a room, his painting will emanate an impression of its own for those who see it. His works have been collected by visitors from Japan, Taiwan, America, Europe and Indonesia.

Recently, this seventh son out of eight children creates lots of cartoons. In art domain, the cartoon has indeed not been acquired proper position in the heart of its enjoyer. However, this chubby man, the initiator of 3-1 system in painting admits that becoming a cartoonist is absorbing as only few people that can feel happy as “scarce being.” In addition, through cartoons he can communicate to others, through the sense of humor, but certainly without the presence of sarcasm. “Thank God, if it could be contemplated and has made aware of those who feel to be reminded,” says Deko who is frequently taking part in cartoon exhibition in Semarang, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Denpasar.

A frequent theme expresssed is in the form of social criticism. Its inspiration often comes to his mind in the form of what he watches and experiences in person. Any incidents occuring in the community, either those pertaining to politics, society; culture and defense matters often influence his works. All that he expresses are just like a philosopher that does not reduce his sense of wisdom. “Though in the form of criticism, in expressing his mind he should take many considerations like the moral, ethic and sense so it does not insult others later,” says the receiver of MURI (Indonesian Museum of Record) in the realm of education. He has graduated from basic education most quickly and then continues his study regularly.

Making a cartoon starts from the sense of idealism, namely, how to make others happy. However, to look for self-actualization, the artist who is commonly appreciated by mass media in Bali also often organizes exhibition. These exhibitions have taken place since 1983 up to these days. Its venue does not only in Denpasar, but also in Jakarta, Semarang, Ujung Pandang and other big cities across Indonesia. Similarly, his cartoons have been widely published in the newspaper, magazine and tabloid.

Painter and writer, who in his bachelor period frequently won several portrait painting and cartoon competitions, admits to have some interesting experience. On making cartoons expressing his anxiety about the demonstrations in Bali, he once got in touch with police. “Many a time, a cartoon is assumed to become a criticism making the people restless. Whereas, it poses a correction that drives awareness,” he says.

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Labels: Bali, Indonesia, Internet News