“Shampoo Ginger” from the East by Gede Gunada

Karangasem, the furthest east of Bali Island, is a district that is often times considered slow and is under the poverty level. Many of its natives settle in Denpasar or other regions for better living. However, not many people are aware that Karangasem holds an amazing nature landscape and a magnificently unique cultural art potential. Karangasem has also given birth to several painters those are still at national rank. To name a few, Nyoman Sukari, Wayan Redika, and Made Sukadana.

In Karangasem, blooms a fine-art group who name themselves “Lempuyang Fine-Arts Community”. Lempuyang is the name of one of the mountains in Karangasem that is considered sacred by the Balinese. The Lempuyang Community established in 1993 and has held numerous collective exhibitions, art camps, art discussions. Some of its members have even participated in the national and also international scaled events. For example, in 2007 they were involved in the “Earth Calling Bali” in the Global Warming & Climate Change Forum held in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Now, after a moment of vacuum from art activities, Lempuyang is back in action. To add more flare, Lempuyang invited several painters from outside of their community to showcase paint and sculpture artworks. Generally the exhibition shows how the members of the community are trying to show their latest artistic achievements. Such can be seen on the work “Pro Evolution Soccer” by Nyoman Sukari whom shifted from the theme of drunks to soccer fanatics, though still keeps the visual of his figures in his old style. On another side, Sukadana left the Barong theme, and is now busy sounding pluralism through his latest paintings.

The struggle of thematic exploration and expression style could also be seen on the works by Gede Gudana, Dalbo Suarimbawa, Ketut Tenang, Gede Sugiada, and Nyoman Triarta. Gunada, for example, on his work “Rabies”, processes the issue of rabies disease that was spread in Bali through his wild and imaginative brushes. Sugiada and Triarta criticize power and muscletalk through satire toned works. All wish to show that theLempuyang Community still has its artistic breath.