IF YOU LIVE in Jakarta, Bandung or Bali, most likey you
would have come across an artwork created by Nyoman Nuarta. Among his pieces
are the Garuda statue at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the Arjuna
statue just outside Monas and the hand sculpture in Setraduta housing complex
in Bandung, to name a few.
Born on Nov. 14, 1951, this Balinese
artist does not look like he is slowing down, escpecially with his latest work,
the Garud Wisnu Kencana, which will stand up to153 meters tall in Ungasan,
Bali, and is due to be completed in August 2018 as a gift to the nation. It is
so tall, especially compared to the surrounding resorts and residential area,
you could see it from a landing plane.
Nyoman Nuarta’s Balines roots might
explain his talent, with Bali culturally known to be home to stone and wood
scultors, however Nuarta decided to choose a different media: copper, brass and
steel. Being a big fan of his publicly displayed art, it was only a matter of
time before I visited Nuart Sculpture Park located within the Setraduta complex
in Bandung.
Living up to my expectation, the
gallerycum-park was beautiful. Entering its gates, we were welcomed by a few
works in his signature style. Nyoman Nuarta, in my opinion, has this gothic
eerie feel to his work whether the piece is made of metal or other material. His
art contains a lot of emotion and movement, not to mention detail that could
lead one to marvel for hours. He alwasys has a concept behind his work, which
in the art world, to my understanding, is not a necessity. There’s a story
behind every piece of art.
Roaming around the gallery shows the
wide skill range and creativity of Nyoman Nuarta. Many of the pieces are inspired
by his family, especially the strong women around him, the environment and important
events. The faces of his children and grandchildren are muses, which clearly
pop up in his work. A mother orangutan holding her baby amongst tree stumps
tells the story of the dying species along with its environment. One of the
most prominent pieces is “Nightmare”, located in the middle of the plastered
indoor gallery, which reminds us of the women mutilated not long after the 1998
incident in Jakarta.
“Moral of the story: We should
cherish the women in our lives that have given us life,” says one the interns
on duty that day.
Listening to the stories behind some
of the pieces I realize that despite the work being made of strong elements,
there is a deeply sensitive man caring and observing the world that we live in
today. Well, there is also a cute seemingly-fluffy sheep made of metal,
inspired during a trip to New Zealand, which doesn’t necessarily need any
explation.
The gallery itself is a piece of
art.
Covered top to bottom in plaster and
wood, as is the current trend for houses, cafes and restaurants. It balances
out the details of Nuarta’s work and creates the perfect canvas for its
shadows. It is also a well-designed place as a the spaces are not just room
after room, but more of an open space where you can see most of the artwork. The
exterior façade is far from plain, decorated with blue glass combined with
detailed walls. In addition, there is an amphitheater for art performances,
surrounded by a lush green environment overlooking a gushing river. Amongst the
greenery is some of Nuarta’s larger works, including my favorite, a blue whale
with its disconnected tail not too far from its head. The sporadic artwork
becomes a kind of hunt, as you don’t know where you’ll find the next piece. Not
to forget the restaurant, where visitors can take a break, because surely the
park will take a lot of time. Whether you enjoy art and Nuarta’s work, or not,
the park has a way to entertain anyone who visits.
And of course, Nuart Sculpture Par
has a souvenir shop, probably unlike any other. Aside from books and park
memorabilia, the shop also offers various and interesting artworks and wearable
items such as clothes, watches, notebooks and wallets from local artist. So there’s
a little bit for everyone, leaving us to believe that art is for everyone. [Sources
: by The Jakarta Post |Words: Murni A Ridha]