Encounter

Everything starts with a meeting

I Wayan Jana (Singapadu, b. 1968) is the eldest son of the renowned carver I Ketut Muja (1944 – 2014). As a child, he apprenticed with his father and has been consistently carving since then. In 1998, he started a new style of carving, devoid of any of the elaborate details commonly found in Balinese woodcarving.

Although minimalism began in Bali in the early 1930’s with the influence of the art deco and art nouveau movements, it was not until the mid 1950’s that Ida Bagus Njana introduced minimalist carvings of the human body. Jana, however, went further and without reference to figurative concepts. His central idea is that a meeting is the start of everything in life.

In this exhibition, Jana presents nine works each characterized by a meeting of two people. In his own words: “Everything in this world begins with a meeting.” Our existence is the result of the meeting of our parents. He further states his works contain three elements: (1) two spheres that symbolize male (purusa) and female (predana), (2) hearts that symbolize love and (3) teeth and fangs that symbolize good and evil deeds. The emphasis of Jana’s works is on relationships: relationships between people, relationships with mother earth and relationships with our creator (Tri Hita Karana – harmony between mankind, the environment and the Gods)1.

Saigon, 21 April 2019
Soemantri Widagdo

 

Reference: 1. Personal interview via WhatsApp conversation on 12 February 2019