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Ida Bagus Putu Padma

Senior Artist
Baturulangun Batuan Artist Association

Artist Statement

Painting, for me, is a journey of discovering 'life' through a paradoxical process. While many painters pursue fluid lines and color transparency, I consciously choose a different path. I intentionally bring to life a sense of 'stiffness' and stillness—an aesthetic inspired by the sturdy movements of wayang kulit (shadow puppets) and the dignity of ancient traditional attire. The aesthetics of the faces in my paintings are not constructed to meet conventional standards of 'beauty' or 'handsomeness'; instead, they adhere to the “pakem” (traditional rules) of shadow puppet eyes to define the soul and gender of each figure.

Bagi saya, melukis adalah sebuah perjalanan untuk menemukan makna “hidup” melalui proses yang terasa paradoks. Di saat banyak pelukis mengejar keluwesan garis dan transparansi warna, saya justru memilih jalur yang berbeda. Saya dengan sadar menghadirkan kesan “kaku” dan hening—sebuah estetika yang terinspirasi dari gerak tegas wayang kulit serta kewibawaan busana tradisional kuno.

Wajah-wajah dalam lukisan saya tidak dibentuk untuk memenuhi standar umum tentang “cantik” atau “tampan”. Sebaliknya, saya berpegang pada pakem mata wayang untuk menentukan jiwa dan gender setiap figur. Bagi saya, di sanalah karakter dan kehidupan tokoh-tokoh itu bersemayam

Artist Biography

Ida Bagus Putu Padma, affectionately known as Gus Padma, was born on March 26, 1972, in Banjar Geria Siwa, Batuan. He is a successor of the Batuan painting tradition through the lineage of his grandfather, the maestro Ida Bagus Made Widja, and his father, the painter Ida Bagus Putu Cakra.

Gus Padma grew up in an environment that served as a meeting point for both local and international artists such as Rudolf Bonnet, a highly influential figure in the dynamics of Balinese painting in the early twentieth century. His family was an integral part of the artistic ecosystem that helped shape the important history of Batuan art, particularly during the golden era of the Pita Maha group in the 1930s and 1940s.

His personal style employs the Plakat technique, which creates a profound visual paradox: deliberately 'covering' or blocking the entire intricate monotone sketch with thick, dark, and opaque layers of paint until the underlying objects almost vanish. Yet, it is precisely upon this 'closed' and dark surface that he reconstructs a vibrancy of life. From these dark blocks, he brings forth 'light' using a mixture of white and yellow, and grants a unique identity to every figure through varying skin tones—ranging from brown and blue to green. This process ensures that within the dense universe of his paintings, no two figures are the same; this colorful vibrancy is born from the courage to darken the light at the beginning in order to bring forth a more eternal light at the end.

A 1993 graduate of the Indonesian School of Fine Arts (SSRI) Denpasar, Gus Padma possesses an extensive exhibition record, spanning prestigious institutions such as Museum Puri Lukisan, Art Center Denpasar, ARMA Museum, and Neka Museum. Despite setting aside the opportunity for a formal art degree for the sake of his family, his steadfastness in his craft has strengthened his identity as a Batuan painter whose works are now widely appreciated by international collectors from Switzerland and the Netherlands to Singapore.

Ida Bagus Putu Padma, yang akrab disapa Gus Padma, lahir pada 26 Maret 1972 di Banjar Geria Siwa, Batuan. Ia merupakan penerus tradisi seni lukis Batuan melalui garis keturunan kakeknya, maestro Ida Bagus Made Widja, serta ayahnya, pelukis Ida Bagus Putu Cakra. Sejak kecil, Gus Padma tumbuh dalam lingkungan yang menjadi titik pertemuan seniman lokal dan internasional, termasuk Rudolf Bonnet, sosok yang berpengaruh dalam dinamika seni lukis Bali pada awal abad ke-20. Keluarganya merupakan bagian penting dari ekosistem seni yang turut membentuk sejarah penting seni lukis Batuan, khususnya pada masa keemasan kelompok Pita Maha pada dekade 1930–1940-an.

Dalam praktiknya, Gus Padma menggunakan teknik plakat yang menghadirkan paradoks visual yang kuat: ia dengan sengaja “menutup” seluruh sketsa monokrom yang rumit dengan lapisan cat tebal, gelap, dan pekat hingga objek-objek di bawahnya nyaris menghilang. Namun justru di atas permukaan yang tertutup dan gelap itulah ia membangun kembali denyut kehidupan. Dari bidang-bidang gelap tersebut, ia memunculkan “cahaya” melalui campuran warna putih dan kuning, serta memberi identitas unik pada setiap figur melalui variasi warna kulit—mulai dari cokelat, biru, hingga hijau. Proses ini memastikan bahwa dalam semesta padat lukisannya, tidak ada dua figur yang sama; kecerahan warna itu lahir dari keberanian menggelapkan cahaya di awal demi menghadirkan cahaya yang lebih abadi pada akhirnya.

Lulusan Sekolah Seni Rupa Indonesia (SSRI) Denpasar tahun 1993 ini memiliki rekam jejak pameran yang luas, seperti pameran di Museum Puri Lukisan, Art Center Denpasar, Museum ARMA , dan Museum Neka . Meski sempat mengesampingkan kesempatan menempuh pendidikan seni formal demi keluarga, ketekunannya dalam berkarya justru menguatkan identitasnya sebagai pelukis Batuan yang karyanya kini diapresiasi kolektor internasional, dari Singapura, Swiss hingga Belanda.

Style: Traditional Balinese, Batuan Style - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia

Mediums: Chinese Ink & Acrylic