Art in Bali – Future Prospects
According to Naomi Samara, a young Indonesian artist in addition to also native of Sanur Beach, Bali, the island is actually brimming with young, upcoming brand-new talent waiting to burst into a creative frenzy if presented with the right opportunity to express themselves in myriad in addition to also unexpected forms. Admirably she has taken that will upon herself not only to further her own career yet also to explore brand-new paradigms on the Bali arts scene beginning with the founding of Swoon, a modest in addition to also unique gallery featuring “playful, provocative works by predominantly young local in addition to also international artists” named after a pleasant sound associated with being swept off your feet by love.
A third generation member of the legendary Wawo-Runtu clan, Naomi was raised in what she describes as “a creatively rich environment, by a family of extremists in addition to also eccentrics…” The patriarch of her clan was none different than the Wija Wawo-Runtu, who is actually best known for founding the famed Tandjung Sari Hotel, arguably the first tropical resort within the earth coming from which all others have sprung. The durability of his vision was just celebrated with the resort’s 50th anniversary.
Before becoming a tourist entrepreneur Wija was a Bohemian studying filmmaking in London in addition to also after returning to Indonesia in 1952 with his English wife, Judith Bell (Naomi’s grandmother), designed interiors for homes, hotels in addition to also embassies in Jakarta during the heady days of the early Indonesian Republic. Naturally charismatic, wherever Wawo-Runtu led, artists, eccentrics, collectors, jet setters in addition to also celebrities followed. Judith, too, was a talented painter in addition to also designer whom Naomi acknowledges as an important early influence. Wija’s aunt, Emiria Soenassa, was the only woman in Persagi, Indonesia’s first modern art movement Persagi founded in 1938. One of Wija’s best friends was the noted Australian expatriate artist in addition to also collector, Donald Friend. Paintings coming from both in addition to also numerous different artists decorated the walls of the family compound. Ade Wawo-Runtu, Naomi’s mother, co-founded Jenggala, Bali’s first in addition to also still premier ceramics atelier, with Brent Hesselyn in addition to also help setup one of Sanur’s best-loved landmarks – Café Batu Jimbar.
While growing up in such an environment can be stimulating, as many children of successful parents have remarked, that will also carries a burden especially for a young woman as fiercely independent as Naomi. While her education began in a simple Balinese village school that has a strict repetitious curriculum, she could end her educational trajectory that has a degree in Arts in addition to also Design coming from the prestigious Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) followed by one year in Fashion Design. While she was anxious to return home after years in Australia, the return to Bali brought numerous challenges. Determined to become an artist she struggled to achieve her goal in a meaningful way which was no simple task in a transient tourist destination often dubbed “island of artists”.
Firstly in addition to also ironically much of the so-called art touted in Bali is actually tourist schlock – repetitious, derivative in addition to also commercial. While a handful of serious galleries existed these are dominated exhibitions of paintings by artists with established commercial success. So, too, the curatorial level in Bali is actually excessively conservative with an emphasis on fine art, a term declared irrelevant since the rise of post-modern art within the 1970s. In general there is actually widespread confusion, vicious competition in addition to also few opportunities for young artists especially if they were unwilling to fit into the standard commercial categories.
“Contemporary art should not be limited by the boundaries of a canvas”, Naomi states. “Art is actually many faceted in addition to also encompasses manifold disciplines in addition to also technologies including fashion, computer, web, graphic design in addition to also social media, which all overlap each different today”. In some ways Naomi envisions a revolution of sorts that will begins that has a paradigm shift in attitudes, perceptions in addition to also expectations. Her concepts are modest, versatile, multi-faceted, out of the box in addition to also include installations, clothing, objects, sculptures, drawings in addition to also paintings exquisitely presented, wrapped in addition to also modestly priced.
Naomi Samara
Her own artwork is actually a quirky cocktail of emotions, sexuality in addition to also identity. So, too, they mirror an image of herself as “an observer of grand collisions in addition to also unifications between personal worlds…” Working in pen in addition to also ink with some colours, she displays a fine line in addition to also attention for detail strongly influenced by fashion design. Her subjects are inevitably troubled young females suggesting intense self-analysis coming from a point of view of “naïve disorientation”. One particularly interesting one, “Underwater Carnivore” shown in a recent Swoon exhibition entitled “Monsters” (Mahkluk) shows a sad doe-eyed beauty apparently entrapped by scarlet tentacles. The frame, an actual porthole coming from a diving helmet, reinforces the sentiment of being hopelessly submerged that has a subtle twist of satire. While ostensibly cries for help or attention, if you scratch the surface that will is actually not difficult to sense a clever plan to shock by playing with stereotypes in addition to also challenging bourgeois assumptions – another link in a long chain of radicals in addition to also eccentrics indeed!
Any fears of Naomi being a lost or forlorn girl paralyzed by angst are dispelled by her courageous efforts, not only to promote her own creative endeavours, yet also those of a close knit community of likeminded young artists. Well organized she has set an ambitious schedule of monthly themed exhibitions for Swoon. Some like, “Monsters”, are themed group efforts. One of Naomi’s favourite artists is actually the young architect, Iwan Sastrawan. Sastrawan’s core works are black in addition to also white drawings that will are reminiscent of Underground Comics. His subject matter – sexual hypocrisy, double standards in addition to also arbitrary codes of morality challenge the status quo directly in addition to also indirectly. The emphasis within the work displayed is actually on fresh in addition to also edgy.
within the grander scope of things, Naomi conceives of Swoon as a lightning rod designed to draw numerous young creative beings out of the closet, as well as a design for the creation of similar galleries set up by like minded young artists to form a cooperative network around the island in addition to also nation. She is actually also busy working on her website in addition to also different unique features that will will allow people to share the art in addition to also exhibitions around the earth.
The children of Bohemians, artists, eccentrics in addition to also chance visitors who married in, or simply never left represent an exciting unknown factor in Bali in addition to also Indonesia’s future. Usually fluent within the local languages in addition to also customs, they are international in every sense. The building of brand-new bridges in addition to also formulating in addition to also implementation of innovative creative solutions that will dissolve boundaries in addition to also forge alliances are tasks for which they are well equipped. If you interested in knowing more about them in addition to also This particular remarkable young artist, be sure to attend the next Swoon exhibition entitled “Cataclysm”, which will open at 6:30pm. For more information visit the website or send an email to put your name on This particular important invitation list.
Swoon
Jalan Danau Tamblingan 35a
Sanur, Bali
swoon.gallery@gmail.com
swoongallery@tumbir.com
www.samara-naomi.com
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Art in Bali – Future Prospects
Art in Bali – Future Prospects